The gap between idea & execution (and how to close it)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been an “ideas guy.”

In grade school, I’d doodle skateboard designs and come up with skateboard brand names I wanted to create some day.

Later on in life, I leaned further into this creativity and always enjoyed the idea of what was possible. The places I’d travel, the businesses I’d build, or the projects I’d work on.

But not until the past few years have I really started taking my ideas seriously. In other words – I always had ideas, but rarely did I act on them.

Lately I’ve been defining ideas as “prompts for action.”

Because when you really think about it – that’s exactly what they are, aren’t they?

When you have an idea, it comes as a thought. And most of the time, those thoughts are potential solutions to problems you’re facing. So why not give them a try?

Defining the Gap

A majority of people (myself included) get stuck somewhere between idea and execution.

Turns out, that gap is a deep pit full of mud.

As simple as this “gap” sounds – I’ll be the first to admit that it’s often deeper and further apart than it seems. Within this gap, we run into things such as overthinking, perfectionism, risk, and ridicule. It’s not an easy stage to endure. And because of it, doing anything is often better than doing nothing.

The quicker you can go from idea to execution – the more successful you’ll be.

Most people have great ideas. Few people have something to show for it.

The reason this is so important is simply because of volume. The more ideas you act on, the more experience you’ll have. The more experience you have, the more you’ll learn. And the more you learn, the better you’ll be at turning your great ideas into great creations.

When you ruthlessly act on an idea you have, chances are it may fail. But as I mentioned a few weeks ago, we learn more from failure than we do from success.

And the more you fail, the more experience you’ll have to help you succeed in your next idea. It’s simply a numbers game. Get many failures out of the way, and you’ll be that much closer to success.

Try It, Then Decide

One of the first “big” (and scary) ideas that I acted on was deciding to live full-time in my 1987 VW Van. And better yet, I somehow convinced my wife to join me on this adventure.

Not too long after I quit my job as a full-time videographer – we sold most of our possessions, packed the necessities into our van, and hit the road without much of a plan.

This was something I’d been dreaming about for nearly 10 years. The idea existed for a really long time.

And until I left everything behind and executed on the idea… I had no way of knowing where this idea would lead.

Eight weeks into our adventure, I realized the nomad lifestyle wasn’t sustainable for us in the long term. And guess what? That was completely okay.

How would I have ever known that if I didn’t give it a try? My deep desire to live that lifestyle may have burdened me my entire life had I not executed on the idea and eventually learned it wasn’t the right fit.

And although it was expensive, inconvenient, and slightly unexpected for this adventure to only last two months – I wouldn’t have it any other way. This taught me a lesson that I’ll carry with me forever:

You’ll never know until you try. And the sooner you try, the sooner you can move onto the next big idea.

If it weren’t for this failed vanlife attempt, we probably wouldn’t have ever moved states. And if we never moved states, I wouldn’t have made the awesome friends I currently have. And if I wouldn’t have found this community, I’d be much worse off.

Failures don’t lead to embarrassment. They lead to breakthrough.

How To Close the Gap (In 3 Simple Steps)

With all this being said, I have some big ideas right now.

And rather than thinking about them for weeks on end, brainstorming endlessly, calculating every possible risk, and then never doing anything about it…

I want to move quickly, share my stories, and start somewhere.

I’m working to quickly close the gap between idea and execution. Because far too many of my “groundbreaking ideas” have never seen the light of day.

But that changes now.

To close the gap between idea & execution, here’s exactly what I’m doing:

1) Choose one idea to focus on

Focus is a superpower. When we commit to one thing and obsessively follow it, progress is made. In a world of unlimited distraction, focus is what helps maintain mental clarity. If we’re constantly bouncing around from one idea to another – it will be difficult to make any real impact.

2) Research

Most of the time, you aren’t alone in your ideas. What have other people done when given a similar idea or project? It’s never been easier to research what’s “out there” in your specific area of interest. Search Google, AI tools, or YouTube to see what’s already been done or thought of. These other resources often give me even more rabbit holes to go down and ideas to think about. (But be careful not to do too much research – it’s in this stage where people get stuck.)

3) Experiment

Now, it’s time to for the rubber to meet the road. It’s in the experiment stage where your idea reaches reality for the first time. Remember: Done is better than perfect. Start by making it happen… then focus on making it good.

Think about what the simplest, most achievable version of your idea is – and put all your effort towards bringing it to life in this form. Don’t try to make it perfect, don’t overthink it, and don’t even worry about it being “good.” Just start somewhere.

Because it’s only when you try multiple versions of something that you’ll gather enough data to make real progress. Your idea will start with being okay, then decent, then acceptable, then good, and finally it will become great (with time). Don’t expect excellence in your idea’s infancy.

Remember: Act on your idea as quickly as possible, and you’ll learn faster and more effectively.

Ideas are only valuable when they’re acted upon.

Q: What idea have you been overthinking, over-preparing for, or procrastinating on?

Action: This week, take the necessary steps to bring that idea to life in the smallest way.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

–Eric Pfohl