Throw Out Your Good Ideas

Isn't it all about good ideas? We think a good idea will make us rich, happy, or successful. Or we believe all we need is a good idea to start a new business, pick our next project, or determine what to do with the rest of our lives.

A good idea might be exactly what you need. Or it could be what throws you off track and heads you in the wrong direction.

The Good Idea Trap

"You're good at math; you should be an accountant."

"No one can make a living with art; I'd better get a real job."

"He's a nice guy and he treats me well. It would be smart to marry him."

"You ought to do public speaking. That would bring you more business."

For many of us, "good" ideas are in the driver's seat of our lives. We choose careers, relationships, and live our lives based on what we and others think would be good for us. These ideas would have us doing what we look to be well suited for.

Sounds reasonable, doesn't it?

Yet following these seemingly good ideas may lead you to a life you are bored and discontented with, to unsatisfying relationships, or to dull and unfulfilling work.

Beware the good idea, whether it's your own or someone else's. It could be a perilous trap.

What's Wrong with a Good Idea?

The problem with good ideas is that in and of themselves they aren't enough.

A good idea that isn't really right for you will not inspire and energize you. Without that, you'll find it hard to sustain the action required to bring the idea to life. And if you do turn the idea into reality, you may discover you're not happy with the results.

Know anyone who's unhappy in a job that looks like a good one? Or who's dissatisfied with a guy she thought was the one for her? Or who moved to a place she thought was perfect only to wish she were back in her old place?

These are good ideas gone bad.

Discerning Which Ideas Are For You

So, how do you know whether a good idea is actually a good idea for you?

Check your "lights."

Your lights are a visible and audible reflection of your energy. They show you what energizes and enlivens you, what makes you more alive, what you love, what connects to your heart, what you're passionate about.

You can sense your lights by tuning into your physiology. Your eyes, face, voice, body, and energy all change, subtly or dramatically, when something lights you up.

When you think about an idea and are drained, lifeless, blah, or "lights off," be careful. Even if the idea sounds good, it's likely best for you to skip it.

On the other hand, if you think about an idea and get bright, light, energized, or "lights on," this is an idea worth exploring.

Following the good ideas that are also heart-connected, energizing and enlivening is how you discover and create a life you love.

It's Worked for Me

I've followed my share of good ideas and this approach hasn't always served me well. On the other hand, making choices based on my lights, my energy, my aliveness has taken me in some wonderful, fun directions.

Here are a couple of examples

• After getting my MBA from the Harvard Business School, clearly the good idea for my career was to return to manufacturing. In the early 80's, women with manufacturing experience were still rare and companies were knocking on my door.

  Following my energy (though I didn't know to call it that at the time) I chose, instead, to become an organization development consultant. This work stimulated and fulfilled me. I met many wonderful people. And I still use these skills in my work today. Not the practical or sensible path yet it was a terrific one for me.

• In the 1990's I longed to find my calling, to do work I loved that had meaning for me. I thought and thought, tried and tried to figure it out.

  I and others came up with many good ideas that I was well suited for. But none of them inspired me. When I learned about and began to follow what lights me up, I discovered the calling I'd been seeking, the work I still do today.

In Your Life

You don't really have to throw out all your good ideas, just the ones for which you lack energy.

When you or someone else has an idea about what you could or should do regarding work, relationships, life, or anything else, take time to notice if it lights you up.

Following the ideas that beckon to you, that are enlivening and energizing, will guide you to what you truly want in life.

Enjoy!