Yet, if we go to Psychologies, we read,

"Hope means many things to many people. To some, it is an internal, whispered incantation that things turn out well; to others, it is directed outwards – at God, fate or superstition; while to others still, it is the setting of a goal and the inclination to keep walking despite the odds."

We need hope. We human beings cling to hope with a tenacity that rivals barnacles on an old boat, stuck in the water, bobbing around in a storm.

That’s good. You should have hope. I want you to have hope. I believe in hope as much as you do.

Big Ideas Require Planning

But, hope is not a plan.

You want to start a business. You have a big idea for a book. You hope you can make the business, the book, the big idea come true. The dream of that big idea is so big in your mind’s eye, it takes up a whole room, a whole house, a whole street!

And you can achieve it, if you put hope in your heart, where it belongs, and put a business plan or a book outline on the table, where it belongs.

A business plan can be a jumbled list of notes about your new business. The name, the intent, the purpose, the possible clients. To get started, you do NOT need to hire a business planner (though I recommend it, once you have a real focus on the big idea and where it can go). To get started, you need to write your big idea down in detail and begin to understand what it means to start a business.

For your book, you create the first outline and table of contents. It's fluid. You're allowed to change things around as you write. Don't fret. Just get it down on paper.

I have a road map I can share with you - one created for writers and one created for your business startup idea. Find me on LinkedIn and DM me there. I'll be happy to send you the one you want.

The Side Hustle

I’m a fan of the show Entertainment Tonight. Tom, my husband, teases me about it because we both know it’s just a gossip show. But, I like it. I like the stories and the fashions and the insight into celebrities lives.

This past week, a famous actress was interviewed about her side hustle. A fashion line she sells for plus size women. She was pretty proud of this extra thing in her busy life; this thing she did when time permitted. But, it wasn’t her career. It was her side hustle.

Do you have a side hustle?

A side hustle can be that thing you do in the evening, at your kitchen table. Or, on weekends when the weather is bad, on your dining room table. Or, three evenings a week at a local meet-up.

It can be something you create with your hands. That jewelry or photography or cake decorating. It's experiences you can share to help others learn, grow, and improve. It's using your talent to turn magic into money. 

Those are all things many of us do in addition to that ‘job’ which brings in the cash to pay the bills.

To us, at Nurturing Big Ideas, your side hustle is what you’ve moved into after leaving that job behind. It's something you've done throughout your life, but now you're kids are grown or you're retired, so you can do it with full attention. 

It's something you're paying more attention to - a true passion of yours. You’ve started talking about it more. Your friends are urging you to sell your products, whether they are product I can touch or services I can use. some of those friends are saying you should write a book. 

You are realizing that though you’re retired you still have a lot of life left in you and you don’t want to stay home and just bake cookies for the grandchildren or garden or go to lunch at the senior citizens center. You want more.

I think you should have more.

And, on my journey, I've learned that many of the phenomenally talented women and men out there need a helping hand. I don’t sit around ‘hoping’ you’ll ask us for that helping hand. I work on my offers, my website, my social media channels, and the new book I'm writing. I do it as I plan on being there for you, when you need me.

Yes, I know hope is good.

Psychologies, in their article Why Hope Matters, notes,

"high-hope individuals, [using] these three modes of thinking – goal-setting, pathways and agency thinking – are highly developed and their journeys more successful." 

Keep that hope alive, in your heart. Where it belongs.

Put a business plan on the table, where it belongs.

Plan for success by working with those who can help you.

This morning, when I woke up, I yawned, I stretched, I put my slippers on and trudged, still sleepy, into the kitchen to start the coffee.

“I hope this day gets better,” I mumbled. My brain was in a fog and even the dog wasn't up whining to go out. 

When I sat down at my computer to write this post, I realized that the only way the day would get better was if I planned it out, and then followed through. So I did.

Know that hope is not a plan. You cherish the hope in your heart, but make a solid plan for your business or your book. Do it on your dining room table (or with a professional who can guide you on the right steps to take) or do it while you're musing about life in your recliner. Just make sure to put it down on paper. Write it out. Make it real. 

I would be honored to connect with you on LinkedIn.