Bad Ideas Can Halt Your Business Growth and Waste Your Time: Here’s How to Know if Your Idea Is the Right One

Have you ever had an idea or an inspiration to do something, but you weren’t quite sure if it was the right one? Here’s a little trick for knowing if your idea is a good one to act on right now.

Use the clean or dirty test

A clean idea is one that’s pure. It comes from an inspired place.

A dirty idea is one that comes from desperation, lack, worry, anxiety, or similar stress-inducing emotion.

Just because an idea is clean doesn’t mean it isn’t scary, worrisome, or stressful. Here is the distinction:

A clean idea can cause an emotion such as fear, anxiety, worry or lack, but

a dirty idea comes from a place of fear, anxiety, worry or lack.

Check in with your idea. Notice the emotional states that arise when you think of it. If you’re feeling anything but bliss (which is very likely!), ask yourself…

Did this idea come from a place of fear, anxiety, worry, or lack?

Or, is the idea now causing those emotions to come up?

Be honest with yourself

If your idea comes from a place of fear, anxiety, worry, lack, or other icky emotion, it’s possible that now is not the right time to bring your idea to fruition. Maybe it’s time to table this idea and choose another one. It will save you a lot of stress down the road if you drop a dirty idea now, instead of carrying on with it if it’s not time.

If your idea doesn’t come from fear, anxiety or icky emotions, golly gee, superhero, get on with it! The world is ready for your magic.