Don’t Save the Dress

I interrupt this post with an important PSA.

Professional Service Announcement.

Don’t save the dress. (Feel free to swap another article of clothing if you like.)

“Huh? What?” you ask

Here’s the thing. We wait all of our lives for “someday” & in doing so, miss the most wonderful opportunities.  

We save our favorite dress (Et al.) for some rando special occasion. A fancy shindig. Anniversary. Class reunion. Important meeting. You get the idea.

And so, instead of enjoying that damn dress, it hangs in our closet.  

Never worn. Price tag still on.  

We rattle off a list of excuses. “I just need to lose 5 pounds.” “It’s raining & I don’t want to ruin it.” “I’ll wear it next time.” “Maybe it’s too flashy.”

One day, the dress doesn’t fit any more. It’s little too tight. Or too loose. Not quite in fashion or the fashion statement we want to make any more. Our taste has changed.

News flash:  Someday is today. Stop waiting. Wear the frigging dress. Often. Enjoy it. And when it wears out or no longer suits you, buy a new one.

“This relates to business, how????” Glad you asked.

There are moments in life – & in business – when lightning strikes. Eureka. You get a stroke of brilliance. A game changing idea. The chance to do something really big & bold.

But despite how excited or inspired you are, you fail to act on it. 

First you question its validity. Or worry what others might think. Maybe it’s really a stupid idea after all. It needs some tweaking. Timing isn’t right. The market isn’t ready for it yet. It’s too risky. We don’t have the resources, time, money, bandwidth. Shall I go on?

Or you do what a recent @Insurgents client did. Postpone. “We love this campaign so much we want to save it for the right time,” they told us.

Did you not hear me.  Don’t save the dress.

Because even the greatest ideas can have an expiration date. Best used by NOW.

By the time you get around to it, that sexy idea is old news. Or your competition did something that steals its thunder.

Don’t let a great idea go to waste. You never know how it can change your future.

Don’t think of any idea as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If all you have is one idea, you’re screwed.

And if it doesn’t work, so be it. Learn from the experience & move on. It’s usually better to try something than it is to do nothing.

Today’s the day. Say yes to a big idea. Believe that if you’re capable of one spectacular idea, you will have another. And another. Ideating is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes

Remember, every time you marvel at an amazing idea, you’re seeing the work of someone who believed in it so strongly they took a risk. 

In the words of Virgin Group Founder, Sir Richard Branson, "Screw it, let's do it."

Time to get all dressed up.