Ever have a moment where you come up with an amazing idea that could benefit your community or maybe even the world at large? One of those moments when, whether through sudden insight or long, hard work, you suddenly “get it”?
Yet, no matter how fantastic your idea is or how much you believe in it – you never get beyond the idea stage. Maybe someone else implements it and you think, “Oh hey, I thought of that five years ago.” Or maybe it just languishes in the back of your mind. Where, let’s be honest, it’s not helping anyone.
You are not alone.
Many people experience that moment of inspiration and then… do nothing. They fail to act and never get past that incredible moment.
Are you ready to move past the moment of inspiration and on to implementation? Trust me—Encast has been there, too. Here are a few tips from us to take that moment and turn it into a movement.
Inspiration
If you’ve had the moment we’re talking about, you know what it feels like to be struck with inspiration. Breakthroughs and innovations are born of inspiration. Use it.
Inspiration is a tool, not an endpoint. It’s the spark to get moving, the view of a better tomorrow. Let it light your way, but remember every spark will burn out if it doesn’t have fuel to keep it burning.
Inspiration is just the beginning.
Look for Consorts
Your inspiration can serve as a beacon for like-minded people. Find people who care about the problem you hope to solve and team up with them.
Chances are they’ve had their own moments of inspiration. Fuel their spark and let them fuel yours.
Find people who will inspire and encourage you. It’s easy to let an idea linger in the back of your mind. But once you share it and get others excited about it, you build momentum together.
Your inspiration can light the way and the support of like-minded individuals can carry you (and your idea) forward.
Look for Resources
Inspiration and true believers are necessary, but they are not enough to build a movement. Every new movement needs a range of resources to get off the ground. Exactly what those resources are will vary wildly.
So how do you determine the resources your movement will need? You start by asking yourself this question:
What’s the goal of your movement?
The goal may be crystal clear in your mind and the minds of your consorts. But if you want your movement to grow beyond your initial reach, you have to be able to explain what you are hoping to achieve.
It’s okay for your goal to be vague as long as you are clear about the impact you want to have. Are you hoping to increase senior animal pet adoptions from the humane society in your community? Do you want to help provide new school clothes and supplies for children in the foster care system?
Once you can clearly articulate the impact you want to have, you can identify the resources you will need.
Increasing animal adoptions will need volunteer time. Providing school supplies and new clothes for children in foster care, on the other hand, requires donations, monetary and perhaps of the clothes and supplies.
You cannot ask for the necessary resources to succeed if you don’t actually know what you need. Take the time to figure it out.
How Will You Access the Resources?
Once you know what you need, it’s time to determine out how to get it.
Do you need to raise money? Are there thought leaders in your community who care about this cause?
Reach out to people and companies that may be able and willing to help. Especially if your list of needed resources include items or skills that corporations and members of the community might be willing to donate.
If you are looking to increase animal adoptions, is there a local photographer willing to donate their time and skills to get great photographs?
In 2014, the Humane Society of Utah began taking pictures of their adoptable animals using a photo booth. They shared these photos on social media and were able to find homes for over 10,000 animals.
It was a record for this shelter. Then in 2015, they achieved no kill status, for both cats and dogs, for the very first time in their history of more than 50 years.
Find the people and organizations in your area to help you get the resources you need to set a record like the one the Utah Humane Society achieved.
Determine How Big You Want the Movement to Be
Are you focused on the animals in your local shelter or an issue that impacts the world on a grander scale?
Small community-based movements benefit most from face to face interactions. Hosting an event at a local community center can give you the opportunity to talk to people who you are hoping to impact and get involved.
If you’re looking to create a movement on a global scale, however, renting a booth at the local farmer’s market isn’t going to cut it.
Instead, your time would be better spent building a strong social media presence and foster connections with organizations and like-minded individuals around the world.
The scope of your movement will determine where and how you spend your resources.
Conclusion
If you’ve felt inspiration strike, don’t ignore it – use it. Ideas left unshared have never solved anything. But new ideas and approaches improve the world every day.
Take your moment of insight and turn it into a movement that inspires. The world has been waiting for you.
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