When I heard about the “Law of Diminishing Intent“, I had an Aha moment. I can remember so many times in my life where an incredible idea came to me. I got excited, started planning and had every intention to follow through. However, I often made the decision to “sleep on it” before I took the first action.
When the morning came, I started to doubt the “genius” of my plan. I often decide to get on with my day and think about it later… By the time I get to it again, the excitement has passed and I decide that it’s not really a very good idea after all and scrap it. Sure enough, months later, someone else has implemented my idea!!!
What I experienced is the “Law of Diminishing Intent”;
We intend to take action when the idea strikes us. We intend to do something when the emotion is high. But if we don’t translate that intention into action fairly soon, the urgency starts to diminish. A month from now the passion is cold. A year from now it can’t be found. – Jim Rohn
When I learned about this concept I felt incredibly cheated. I had always thought that by thinking a decision through before taking action on it, that I was making smarter decisions. I realized that by avoiding action on a new idea, I was actually virtually eliminating my chances of success. I have let so many fantastic ideas fall by the wayside.
I started to wonder… “What if I fail because my poor idea?”
It’s not that you don’t think through the idea. In fact, that is the first step. The point is to take some action on the idea immediately. Draw up plans, get it on paper, invite some friends over to brainstorm.
When intuition strikes take action now!
The longer you wait the less likely you will be to do it at all, and you will pass up many life transforming opportunities.
