Bringing Life to Ideas!

Maybe it’s the Project Manager in me but I love a good gantt chart or a step by step plan that can help me to break down a huge vision into manageable bite sized chunks. This probably sounds like the last thing most people want to focus on once their creative juices are flowing and whilst everyone seems to be able to generate ideas, some people struggle with the process in between – planning!

I’m also an avid meme reader and love to jump on Instagram every now and again amusing myself with some of the creative and humorous content out there. So when I saw the meme responsible for my latest blog title I couldn’t resist reposting and sharing and then of course throwing in my two pennies worth putting a professional spin on it. 

I love listening to my clients as they enthusiastically reel off their big visions and ideas for their businesses and their next marketing campaign. As they share, its then my job to take what they envision and put a plan in place that can turn it into a reality. My mind runs through all the different strategies and approaches we could take to realise the vision in the most efficient, effective and creative way possible.

Here are a few tips and tricks that I use to bring mine and my client’s ideas to life!

1. Set realistic deadlines and SMART goals

Use the age old SMART rule of thumb ensuring that all the parts of your plan are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time bound. This is a great way to split one big thing up into lots of little things so that you don’t become overwhelmed with all the different components of a project. However, don’t fall into the trap of making your goals too granular. The aim isn’t to spend all your time creating the plan and updating the plan without getting any work done!

2. Write the plan down using good old pen and paper

Jot everything down as it comes into your head including all the steps you think you need to take and carry out and then afterwards go back and reorder according to priority. 

3. Sound board

Share your ideas with someone who you trust and who can advise you by taking an objective look at the plan you’ve created. Sometimes when you become too close to something its hard to spot the obvious things.

4. Use the right tools 

Here are some helpful tools that I use to help me with project planning: Trello, Toggl, Monday.com, Google Calendar

5. Be flexible

Review your plan regularly. Let’s be honest we all start out with the best intentions but not all plans go according to plan (excuse the pun)! The beauty of effective planning is that there should always be some sort of contingency if something doesn’t work out. As long as you remain solution focused there’s always another avenue that can be taken.

Happy planning – you got this!