Waiting for Perfection and Wasting Thoughts

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns provided a unique opportunity for people to reflect on their lives and consider new ideas and proposals for the future. Many of these concepts, however, never moved beyond the discussion stage and have since been forgotten. In this article, we will explore the steps necessary for an idea to come to fruition, from clearly specifying the goal to considering the rules of success.

In his book "Shortcut for a Better Life", the writer Ziad Rayess mentions: The COVID-19 lockdown was an opportunity for many people to start discussing a range of ideas and proposals. Some of them were new and creative, and many of them fell within reflections of our life so far and how to plan differently for the future. There were proposals for cultural and social projects, investment projects, and projects related to people’s personal lives.

But I fear that these ideas remained in the brainstorming, discussion, and review stage, fading away gradually until they are currently in a hibernation stage or forgotten entirely.

To bring an idea or project to fruition, consider these steps:

1. Clearly specify the idea, goal, and task in writing:

A study was conducted at Harvard in 1979 that shows how important writing is. They asked every MBA graduate, “Have you laid out clear goals for your future and your plan to achieve them in writing?”

Only 3% of the students had written goals, and 13% of them had unwritten ones, while 84% didn’t have goals at all. Ten years later, in 1989, they found that the second group (13% with unwritten goals) had double the income of the third group, which hadn’t set any goals. They found that the first group (3% with written goals) had 10x the income.

2. Determine the factors of your project’s success, without getting caught up in perfection:

This reminds me of what someone once said: “Desire for perfection has killed so many important projects, while lethargy and procrastination have killed so many unique compositions!”

3. Pick your team:

Select the team that will work on the project and appoint someone to lead the team.

4. Don’t make work on the project voluntary:

Pay a salary, even if the work is part-time or the wages are partial or both.

5. Come up with an estimated budget and set it aside for the project:

Do this whether it’s a commercial investment project or a public service project.

6. Set a date to begin the project:

Also, set dates to review your progress and compare it with your planned timeline.

7. Consider the rules of success for any project:

These include:

• Commitment.
• Patience.
• Perseverance.
• Spirit of development and creativity.
• Proactive attitude.
• Commitment to values.
• Realistic thinking.
• Legality of the project.
• Advanced technology.
• Team spirit.
• Passion.
• Belief in success.
• Constant course correction in the context of the overall goal.
• Benefitting from others’ experiences etc.

Even when you’ve fulfilled all of the requirements and taken every crucial measure, not every attempt will necessarily succeed. However, it’s important for us to know that continuing to try and being flexible in dealing with new developments will be the real reason for our success. That’s what will bring you to your goal.

May God grant you success.

Conclusion:

Bringing an idea to life requires a clear and concise plan, a dedicated team, and a realistic budget. It's important to avoid the trap of perfectionism and to focus on progress rather than perfection. By following these steps and remaining flexible in the face of challenges, we increase the chances of success. While not every attempt will necessarily succeed, perseverance and a proactive attitude can make all the difference. By taking these steps and committing to our goals, we can turn our ideas into reality and create a better future for ourselves and others.