Turn Your Ideas into Income (With IMPACT©)

“Good ideas are not adopted automatically.

They must be driven into practice with courageous patience.”

~ Hyman Rickover

     How many times have you had ideas churning in your head…little ones; big ones; dreams; goals; intentions; projects? How many times have you acted on those ideas? Even more telling, how much income have you realized from your ideas? What stops you? What challenges you?

     There are a plethora of books, seminars and programs on creativity and how to get ideas. Yet once you have them, how do you organize your thoughts and make sense of them to determine which ones to pursue? How do you communicate your ideas and convince people to act on them? How do you determine your own actions? Which ideas are your “money ideas”?

     You typically want your ideas to have an impact whether they are for an invention, a solution to a problem, an easier or more efficient way to do something, a change to a process, the next book or movie premise, a way to better establish a relationship, or a suggestion for working smarter rather than harder. I define a methodology for organizing, communicating, selling, and acting on ideas as a process I designate IMPACT^©, detailed in my book Hey, That’s My Idea! . Let me overview this process that takes you “from idea to implementation” so that you turn your ideas and suggestions into income and being impactful.

     IMPACT^© is my mnemonic that helps you recall the six stages you navigate to take your ideas from mind to money and matter. This diagram visually represents the sequence of thoughts and actions for you to follow to organize, document, communicate, and encourage action on your ideas.

The IMPACT^© process comprises six stages:

I - Initiate your idea.

Choose your “money idea” with import.
Apply critical and creative thinking to develop it.
Capture your thoughts.

M - Mold your message.

Take inventory of reasons, data, and facts – ask questions for more details.

Edit them down to their essence.

Organize the elements for persuasion.

Clear them up, write them down for visual perspective.

P - Plot your strategy.

 Use sales strategies to “sell your idea” (even if it is not for sale).

Pace yourself: before, during, and after.

A - Attention…command It.

Consider your audience’s norms.

Capture their attention in a way to which they’ll respond.

C - Communicate for action.

Listen purposefully.

Use positive verbal and nonverbal techniques.

Integrate effective presentation skills.

T - Terminate assertively.

Tell ‘em what you want; make your call for action.

Make the tone commensurate to the request.

Be gracious and grateful.

     Let’s explore each stage in a bit more depth. For the record, I use “idea”, “suggestion”, and “thoughts” interchangeably to indicate the “stuff that’s in your head”.

Initiate your idea.

     This first stage of the IMPACT^© process is where you examine your ideas and determine the one on which you will focus your energies this time. Capture your other ideas so that you don’t lose them, yet choose one with the most import to the time, situation, and target audience on which to focus.  Apply critical and creative thinking techniques to develop your chosen idea. Once you experience the IMPACT^© process you will be able to return to your other ideas and repeat the process.

Mold your message.

     This second stage is where you do a “ideastorm”—a transfer of everything you can think of and learn through research that relates to your idea—from your head and disparate notes, into the documentation of your choice (paper or electronic) so that your idea is physically in one place. It must be highly visual so that you “see what you’ve been thinking”. Then use proven organizational patterns to sort and shape the bits and pieces of your idea to see it more clearly.

Plot your strategy.

     This third stage is where you fine-tune your organized idea. Plot your implementation action strategy so that you effectively communicate and persuade other people to accept and act on your idea. Create your sales strategy to figuratively “sell your idea” (even if it is not literally for sale). Work out how you will present your idea to your target audiences.

Attention…command It.

     The first three stages of the IMPACT^© process involve thinking, planning, organizing, and writing—so not sexy, yet necessary before you implement a strategy. Legendary Quarterback and Hall-of-Famer Roger Staubach said that spectacular achievements are usually preceded by unspectacular preparation. The first IMPACT^© stages are the unspectacular preparation for communicating and implementing your idea. The last three stages are your ACTion ones.

     This fourth stage is where you fully develop your communications strategies and start presenting your idea. Research your audience to determine how your idea best meets their needs. Use effective presentation techniques to capture your audience’s attention and interest them in your idea.  Communicate with authority to command respect, and return focus to your idea when discussion goes off on a tangent.

Communicate for action.

     This fifth stage is a seamless continuation of the previous one where you hone your persuasion and presentation techniques. Employ positive verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Listen purposefully. React appropriately to challenges and questions. Persuade your audience with your messages, reasoning, and public speaking skills.

Terminate assertively.

     This sixth stage is where you “seal the deal”—make your call to put your idea into action. Present an action plan and schedule next moves. Involve your audience in your plans and get commitments, with deadlines. Be specific. Communicate the pay-off for acting on your idea. Make your tone commensurate to your request. Express your appreciation. Remain in control of your idea by steering the course for its implementation.

Increase your income IMPACT^©-fully: stop churning and start earning

     Anyone can have a great idea. Yet, the leap from inspiration to implementation is too wide for many to make. The gap between idea and income is even wider for so many. By following the IMPACT^© process, the giant leap becomes manageable because you have tools that help you stop churning and start earning. As an entrepreneur; professional; person seeking to experience the “next chapter” in your life; a leader...implementing a system, with tools and resources, to move your thoughts and projects from your head to intentional action enables you to increase your income and make an impact on your bottom line, your family, your community, and even the world. You turn your dreams into dollars, your concepts into cash, and your ideas into income and impact!

 

About the Author:

Sylvia Henderson, Implementation Strategist, moves individuals and teams to get out of their heads and into action with their ideas for profit and purpose. Clients call her the “Maven of Implementation”. Using her design thinking process called IMPACT^©, Sylvia helps you build a foundation and develop strategies for, take action on, and be accountable to your ideas. Sylvia is the author of multiple books including Hey, That's My Idea! How to Speak Up & Get Recognized for What You Know and Think, and hosts a cable TV program and radio show on implementing ideas. Turn your dreams into dollars, concepts into cash, and ideas into impact with Sylvia’s expertise & experience to guide and encourage you. Meet Sylvia at the  Unlimited You Weekend, April 10- 12, 2015, Baltimore, MD. www.hwhn.org for details.

How to Get to Happy

True Joy

By Valorie Burton

Valorie Burton encourages you to discover what lifts your spirit so you can create happiness every day. Find your own motivations for free at happywomantest.com, which lists 13 triggers Burton explores in her book Happy Women Live Better. Here she outlines a few of the big ones:

Anticipation: Every day I make sure I have something to look forward to. Whether having dinner with a friend or curling up with a good novel, we need to be intentional about creating activities we enjoy. This one habit can instantly boost your happiness.

Service: Do at least one thing daily to brighten someone else's day. This requires you to take the focus off yourself and put the spotlight on another. Whether you volunteer for a nonprofit or stop by to visit that friend who's going through a tough time, help somebody.

Financial savvy: It won't happen overnight, but aim to live on 75 percent (or less) of your income. People who live below their means are happier. And buy experiences instead of things—a vacation, a class to learn something new; it will make you happier than another pair of shoes.

Gratitude: At the end of the day, ask, "What were the three best things about today?" Write them down. Studies show that doing so for just three weeks will improve your mood and strengthen your immune system.

Play: Guys are great at playing basketball, golf and video games. We women need to give ourselves permission to play and be silly. Go outside for a game of catch with the kids or have friends over for a night of charades. Play increases creativity and reduces stress.

Relaxation: This trigger tends to be least used by women who have taken my happiness test. Let go of guilt, stop worrying, and give yourself permission to take a catnap, a break, a vacation! Doing nothing rejuvenates the soul.

Movement: Exercise is a happiness trigger. Just 20 minutes of cardio per day can lift your mood for up to 24 hours, according to research. Make it fun. Take a class, go for a walk with your honey, or turn on your favorite music and dance in the living room.

***Originally published at www.essence.com

How to Stay the Course

How can you storm past the obstacles in your path to success? 

Imagine you're running a race on an obstacle course. If you keep your head down and merely jogged you won't have the momentum you need to jump the hurdles (knocking them down won't make you lose points in this race) or scale the walls.

To achieve your ultimate success without being knocked off-course, you'll need two tools:

·        Endurance

·        Destination  

Fuel for the Journey

The best athletes know that rest is as important as practice. In order to knock obstacles out of the way, achieve your goals, and stay the course, take time daily to refuel and recharge. How you feed your mind is just as important as fueling your body. Consider who you're around, what you read and what you listen to as you refuel. We don't want to run our race on empty. Let's build our endurance muscles for those obstacles by feeding our mind and body with the best ingredients and let's educate ourselves on how to best meet our goals.  

Maintain Your Momentum

Although some love moving fast! It's not best to go from 0- 80, however once we build our momentum and get our energy flowing we're able to regulate the ebb and flow. Some hurdles call for a high leap and others a strategic climb, however, all require momentum. Whether the goal is to lose weight, start a business or save money, you have to be consistent. Hurdles will come, like gaining 2 pounds this week or those super cute pair of shoes on sale however working diligently with the finish line in mind (even if it's not in view) will help keep you on track.  

Destination= Vision

We know the finish line is there however, we can't always see it. You already know where you’re going so on the other side of a mountain of debt, is financial freedom. On the other side of that paperwork is a non-profit status so you can serve in a greater way.  You know exactly where you're aiming to be, so let's view the markers along the race letting you know where you are. Writing your goals and having an accountability community is so important. Share your vision, it doesn't mean everyone will agree with you however you can find that partner to help you stay accountable to your ultimate goal. You may have heard, "get an accountability partner" before, however its particular impactful when you're faced with obstacles or stumbling blocks on your path towards success. Make the time, ideally a few minutes each day, visualizing your success. Imagine it! Feel the joy! Truly building out the experience in your mind will help to make it a reality. 

Building your endurance for the journey and keeping the vision of your ultimate success will ensure that you turn mountains into molehills.

How will you build your endurance to overcome your current obstacles? Let us know in the comments below. 

About the author: Sister Mothyna James-Brightful is a self proclaimed “Self Love Revolutionary”. She has spent the last decade empowering women and girls to live authentic lives. Sister Mothyna is the Visionary Director and Co-founder of Heal a Woman to Heal a Nation. Sister Mothyna is co-author of Because I am a Queen...100 Affirmations for Daily Living and is currently working on her forth coming book Engage.Inspire. Prevent. Educating Teens on Sexual Violence. Stay connected www.hwhn.org: Twitter @mothyna

Communicate Your Ideas with Impact

“Good ideas are not adopted automatically.

They must be driven into practice with courageous patience.”

~ Hyman Rickover

      

How many ideas do you have percolating, yet you’re stuck, overwhelmed, and in inaction? What stops you?

     You want your ideas to have an impact – on your business, family, community, or the world. IMPACT^© is the mnemonic for a system I developed that represents the sequence of thoughts and actions that help you position your ideas for profit.

I - Initiate your idea.

Apply critical and creative thinking to choose the idea on which you’ll focus. Then capture your idea details.

M - Mold your message.

Organize your details to give structure to and gain clarity about your idea.

P - Plot your strategy.

Develop your idea implementation strategy. Work with a trusted partner who can see what you may overlook.

A - Attention…command It.

Use techniques that capture people’s attention so that they’ll hear your message and help you implement your idea.

C - Communicate for action.

Employ effective communication and presentation skills to convey your idea and garner necessary support.

T - Terminate assertively.

Ask for what you need to move your idea forward.

     Great ideas occupy smart brain cells. Follow a system to make an IMPACT^© with your ideas and position them for profit.

Author: Sylvia Henderson, Implementation Strategist, helps individuals and teams get out of their heads and into action with their ideas, for profit and purpose. Clients call her the “Clarity Queen of Ideas”. Using her design thinking process called IMPACT©, Sylvia helps you get clear about, develop strategies for, take action on, and be accountable to your ideas. Sylvia’s is the author of multiple books including "Hey, That's My Idea!", and hosts a cable TV program on implementing ideas. Turn your dreams into dollars, concepts into cash, and ideas into impact with Sylvia’s expertise & experience to guide and encourage you.