In this information age, people get so excited about the possibilities of their ideas that they jump the gun and start in the wrong place. When you have an idea, what are the steps you need to think about? How do you avoid prematurely floundering? On this episode, idea strategist and inventor Lisa McCarthy gives insight on doing things in the right order when you have a new idea. You need to retrain your brain to think in a positive way, even when you’re slamming through the slime. It’s about you empowering yourself. -Lisa McCarthy   3 Things We Learned From This Episode   Before you can empower anyone you have to empower yourself first (04:04 - 04:30) A lot of us are driven by purpose and the need to make an impact on something outside of ourselves. The truth is, if you want to make an impact externally, you have to do the hard work of empowering yourself before you can do it for anyone else.   Be intentional and proactive about what you say to yourself (08:09 - 09:26) We all have an inner monologue, and often we allow the message to be negative. What if you learned to drown that out with something you purposefully and intentionally chose to say to yourself? Imagine how that would change everything.   Plan first before taking any action on a new idea (14:20 - 15:44) When you come up with a new idea for something, it’s so easy to get carried away that you miss the foundational steps that ensure success. To avoid this, take the time to map the details so that questions and obstacles can be anticipated.   When excitement and inspiration form around a new idea, we can easily forget the important details that go into executing it. Missing crucial steps can actually hinder progress, so it;s worth it to take the time to map out your ideas. Figure out “the who, what, when, where, why and how” so you have the right game plan to move forward. This will make the process of executing on an idea a lot less daunting and ultimately more effective.   Guest Bio Lisa is a Strategist at Make My Idea Real and the Inventor of the Affirmations Mirror. Go to makemyideareal.com for more information or get in touch with Lisa success@makemyideareal.com.