Finding Focus as an Entrepreneur: Balancing Creativity and Discipline

As a person with an entrepreneurial spirit, I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and opportunities. I believe this is one of the most exciting times in history to be alive. If you have the eyes to see, there is potential everywhere and in everything! New, exciting ideas are coming at us every day, and I can quickly find myself down a rabbit hole that has nothing to do with what I should be doing. But I recognize the importance of staying focused and not getting distracted from the projects that I am currently working on.

Recently, I was speaking with a friend who was struggling to balance multiple projects at once. We were trying to create a list of all the projects they were currently involved in, as well as the ones they wanted to take on in the future. As we talked, I realized that one of the reasons he was so stressed out was that he was constantly chasing after the next new idea. That is when I said, “You need to start putting things down rather than picking things up.” In other words, we have to get into the habit of asking ourselves these three questions:

• Is this idea worth pursuing?

• Is this where I should prioritize my time and energy?

• Should I pick this up or put this down?

When I recognize that I do want to pursue an idea, but it is not currently a priority, I have a folder in my Google Drive called "wacky ideas." In this folder, I write down a short blurb about the idea and include a hyperlink to the article or video that started the thought process. This allows me to acknowledge the idea, without getting sidetracked from the task at hand.

Today’s work environment requires a balance of creativity and discipline. It is important to schedule time for working through your new ideas, and normally you will find that one of two things will happen:

1. The idea will naturally come back into your workflow, and by giving yourself time to meditate on the idea, you will have a head-start on research and implementation.

2. You will never look at it again.

Either way, it's important for us to engage that creative and curious spirit that is part of who we are. The discipline of consistently actioning our priorities is what actually allows us to see the things that we dream up happen in real life. So, is your new idea worth picking up, or should you put it down and get back to work?