Ideas are the heart and soul of every project in our life. Ideas are the very “essence” of all actions we eventually utilize to accomplish our goals.

In short, ideas matter, and they matter in a big way. Many people go through life and shut off the “ideas” channel in their mind and focus exclusively on a mechanical approach to things, denying creative or different approaches to common tasks and problem-resolution processes. This is not the way to live. Quite the contrary, we need to embrace ideas that we have, especially the ones that really stand out and grab our attention.

It was an idea that got me started in Technical Writing. I had already completed my liberal arts degree, mastered the basics of software development and computers in general. Then one day, this idea popped into my head “hey, why don’t you do Tech Writing, you would be good at that. You can combine your writing skills with your interest in computers and technology.” So, I listened to this intuitive idea. I re-wrote my resume to include all writing experiences together with my traditional work experiences, and in 1996 I landed a cool Technical Writing job with a small aviation software company in Coral Gables, Florida (then called RPA). In fact, my hiring supervisor was impressed with the different experiences I had accumulated along with my strong writing skills. It all fit into place. Such is the power of a good idea.

So, for those of you who are graduating from college this spring or who are looking for work, I recommend that you assess your skills and write down on a piece of paper “that” which you can do in the marketplace that will make a difference. Again, your ideas matter. Only you know what you can do. Don’t dismiss your ideas as fantasy. Don’t ignore them. Rather, listen to you inner voice. It will tell you “hey, you can do this”. Don’t have experience in the field? That is alright – why not create a portfolio of some kind? You might have to enter a field as a junior (like junior programmer), but if your idea and portfolio, along with other experiences get you the job, did you not succeed? I say yes, you have succeeded.

Ideas are what lay the foundation for success. However, we must take action.

Where do you want to be in ten years?

Become the primary visionary for your life.

It takes a bit of courage, but it is well worth it

All The Best,

Keith