© 2007 Dream
Merchant • 2309 Torrance Blvd. #104
• Torrance, CA 90501 (310) 328-1925 email: Jkm316@aol.com
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The Editor's Desk |
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Most readers of the Dream Merchant (and most inventors) are working on new products and businesses while living full lives that include other employment. So most of you must find time outside your regular routine, precious time you can spend in your workshop devoted to your product ideas.
Some of you will work these hours smoothly into your routine without growing distracted. That, of course, is the best scenario. You can still find the time without straying from your goals and dreams.
But a significant number of inventors find this increasingly difficult--they find far too many distractions that get in the way. In fact, the world has never been so complex, offering each of us hundreds of ways to grow distracted. And what happens when we're distracted from our goals? Our ideas and dreams wither...and eventually die. Simple as that.
With this in mind, once we've set aside regular time to work on our dreams, we must also have an iron-clad policy about distraction. Set your work goals and then promise yourself that you'll
* Let the phone ring. Another person or answering machine can catch the calls.* Avoid your email box. You can read these later, after the work is done.
* Tell friends that you don't want to be interrupted during work time. If they drop by unannounced, politely refuse to see them.
* Tell family members that you'll give them time, but not during the workshop hours.
* Don't get lost in television programs, the news, or radio talk shows. If these things are nearby, ignore them as much as possible. Consider them nothing more than background noise.
Of course, these represent the most common distractions. In addition to these, we all have personal distractions that might get in the way. The important thing to remember is that distractions aren't really the issue. The issue is how we deal with them.
During your time in the workshop, when you're focused on the invention, there's nothing more important than your idea, your new product. By focusing on that, you're not only reconfirming the idea's importance, you're also letting others know that your time is valuable. Even if you only work a half-hour or an hour a day on your idea, that time should be sacred and focused on your creative ideas. When you value your ideas, others will value them, too. And pretty soon, you'll notice the distractions begin to fall away, replaced by renewed creativity. And that's not bad.
Best of luck with your great ideas.
Mike Foley Editor
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