How To Get Going And Make Stuff Happen

Creating a fun-filled retirement is often confusing and filled with indecision. How do you get going? Maybe you start doing something and you’re full of ideas, full of excitement. Then you start writing them down and then all of a sudden there’s a noisy conversation happening in your head! Yes you can. No you can’t. That would be amazing. No – that will never work! Finally,  you feel stuck in a merry-go-round kind of conversation with yourself.

What’s the answer? How do you get going with that fun-filled retirement?

Here’s a get going method that comes from the creative genius of Walt Disney. He always looked at a project from three different points of view: the dreamer, the producer, and the critic. You see, a dreamer without a producer is often not able to translate fantasies into tangible reality. But if a dreamer talks to a critic, they become engaged in constant conflict and great ideas get censored unnecessarily. Only when a dreamer brings ideas to a producer can they create things and make things happen. Then and only then do they bring in a critic to refine and improve the final product.

The important rule is, you can only play one character at a time.

The dreamer

Get Going with the Dreamer

What if you could not fail?
The dreamer brainstorms without inhibition, without judgment.
The key is divergent thinking.
What are your dreams?
Pretend you have unlimited resources.

The producer

Make Stuff Happen with the Producer

The producer turns dreams into reality. His job is to make it happen – no excuses.
Sometimes it means asking, “what’s the essence of the idea that I can use to make something that will succeed?”
Convergent thinking is important here. What’s most feasible?
The tasks of the producer are organizing, editing and planning.
Even if it’s only planning the first step to see where that leads.

The Critic

Make Stuff Better with the Critic

Now, and only now, does the critic respond to the invitation of the producer to evaluate risks, confusion and obstacles and make things better.
The critic talks to the producer and gives feedback with the goal of refining, and improving the plan.

    Your turn:

    Time to start on your retirement journey! Start by dreaming! Then get on the road and make it happen. Remember, the critic gets a voice (but not a vote!) and only when asked by the producer to help make things better.

    So…. If you could wave a magic wand and do anything you like, what would you do or create?
    How would it look? What could you do with it? How would that make you feel?

    What resources do you need to make this happen – people, money, materials, and technology? What’s your plan?

    Is this the best you can do? What would make it better? What obstacles will you face and how will you get around them? What risks are you willing to take (and what risks will you regret not taking)?

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