How Does the Online Idea Party Work?
You have a dream or a wish, and an obstacle to getting there. (If you don’t think you know your wish, work through my kick-starter and read this post. To learn why you must put logic aside to find your dream, read the following.)
The online Idea Party is here to help you – and the other fellow party goers – with your wishes and obstacles.
Voices from Success Teams and Idea Parties:
Having a team to report to and hearing what everybody did each week is very exciting. It’s kept me moving all year. In the past I made some good starts on my own, but found, every time, when the energy ran out, I ran out. Now it doesn’t run out.
Jade G.
Children’s Playroom Therapist, New York Hospital
I would do a painting a year, a sketch a year. If it was only me I know I would never do it. Having to tell you makes all the difference. It’s crazy why I didn’t do this years ago, it’s so easy all of a sudden.
Caroline R. Personnel Executive, Macy’s Dept Store
Post Your Wish and Your Obstacle Here!
And help your team mates out when you can. Use the Reply link to help, the form below the comments to add your own Wish and Obstacle.
(Your first comment below has to be approved, so it may not display instantly depending on the time of the day. Once your email address is approved you can post instantly. If you want your own profile photo to show up beside your comments, instead of the cute little design, upload your photo on Gravatar.com and give them an hour or so to make it happen.)
Hi everyone,
I am 19 and I made a huge mistake by not putting so much thought into choosing my major. I thought U was going to love it but now I kind of hate it and the worst part is that I am stuck with it.
I really want to study something that interests me and that I can be good at and I want to have work that I love. I do have so many interests in science and art but I find it so hard to choose a major that suits me.
My situation is kind of complicated and I cannot explain everything in this comment, but does anyone have an advice that can help me?
Thank you so much for reading this.
🙂 hi, i think that you are a person who is lucky, to think logicaly and analyticaly and on other hand maybe you also spontaneusly: doing thinks which are interessting for you “in this moment”, which is very good, but sometimes one has to make a decision and follow this decision. so maybe try to do the list of things which you really cant live without, in your job, and than look for university which offers this. also abroad. i am 31 and i was always doing thinks which i wanted, ok it wasnt always easy, but at the end i think that doing the thinks which you like leads also to “unhappynes”, one cant never do everythink! 🙂 but never to try to do thinks one likes to do, is even worse. what you want to do? make a list of it and try to plan how to get it! e.g. i love languages, so i try to find a job in the country which langeage i learn currently :), i like skiing, so i decided to look for a job in the mountains area, i like arab countries, maybe i will find a job in the turism (one can go also for cheep holidays there). 🙂 what would you like to do? study is important! but you can plane also fun
Hi,
I did not know that you replied to my comment until today. Thanks, this means so much to me. I like your advice and I will try to follow it by doing the things I love as a hobby. I hope you find a job that you love in a nice country.
Don’t be too hard on yourself, Sarah – it’s difficult to decide on majors until you’ve “tried it on” and you can look at it as a slight detour. You’re aware and actively searching for direction rather than suffering through or doing nothing.
Science and art are not opposites or mutually exclusive fields. I’ve known people good at both and here’s what they do:
-Medical illustration
-Industrial/product design (art+technology/engineering)
-Mechanical engineering
-3D modeling
-Biomimicry (design or architecture that takes inspiration from nature)
-Architecture
-Civil engineering
I’ve also known engineers (and every other profession) who are artists in their spare time, and some who also sell their work.
If you can first give some of these majors a name, then research, you narrow down the list. Then talk to people doing the work every day or read interviews to see if you can imagine enjoying the same thing. Lifehacker’s “How I Work” is a great resource for a quick glimpse of different life and work styles.
Hi,
Thank you very much for this great comment. I did not know that anybody replied to me until today.
I was considering some of the majors that you listed but did not know how to choose from them. Some of the majorsyou mentioned were completely new to me but they sound interesting.
I’ll check Lifehacker and try to follow your advice on how to choose a major. Thanks
TEMPORARILY, I solved my EXPENSIVE framing problem, somewhat. I purchased professional framing materials for three small originals then framed them myself. Because the gallery take 50%, I am asking a more professional price of 185.00 each rather than 50. to recover my overhead. My WATERCOLOR images do look so much better with the professional framing… I WILL CHECK BACK IN TWO MONTHS AND MOVE TO ANOTHER GALLERY IF THEY ARE NOT SOLD BY THEN.
MEANWHILE, I AM SELLING MY LITTLE WRAPPED REPRODUCTIONS ON SUNDAYS AT VARIOUS CRAFT FAIRS TO EARN MONEY TO PAY FOR MORE FRAMING. I ALSO PAID FOR A PROFESSIONAL SALES LISCENCE AS WHOLESALER IN HONOLULU AND HAVE STARTED KEEPING RECORDS OF SALES AND EXPENSES. I am also thinking of calling a meeting of artist friends in Honolulu to form an artisan cooperative gallery…sounds promising….right? I am looking into for profit or non-profit status but so far it is a lot of work with no easy answers haha
WISH ME LUCK
maribrigit
hi everyone! i have a lot of ideas, e.g. i started to learn hebrew, than i found a job/intership for three months and went to Jerusalem. I had nice time, but i had to came back. i do not really had to, but I had a feeling that it is not good to be there “wihtout purpose”. i came back to Berlin, Germany, and i found out that also here i have no purpose :). My first idea was that i have no working chances in Israel (very strict visaregulations for non-jews). After i came back i had a lot of ideas, but at the end i see that i am not really interessted in any of them. acctually the only one think i really live to do is talking about problems :), acctually not really only TALKING, or litening (i could study psychology), but it is connected with thinking and trying to find the purpose in the life… and making plans. i maybe going to open some small catering bussiness, as friend of mine she loves to cook but she is not really good at advertising, she is afraid of doing it. my too, but i like to try out new thinks :), i am thinking to organise sth like idea party in berlin, but with my “style” and my ideas…. i was thinking to became a coach, yogateacher :), but still i really dont know what i REALLY like….. i have too many interessts, and if one has her own bussiness it is difficoult to a bit confused, maybe someone has an idea? greetings kata
A wonderful friend has asked for ideas. A little introduction may help.
He has many talents that include:
** knowing a famous local river VERY well, by canoeing and camping on it for 30+ years,
** a gifted stone mason (not brick or block, think decorative chimneys, foundations, and walls);
** able to handle a long bow or gun;
** hiker, nature lover, and historian;
** 16 years of sobriety and familiar with AA;
** perceptive and insightful, a good listener and able to size people up accurately; familiar and sensitive with “people with a past” since he worked as a correctional officer for many years;
** a committed Christian with a generous heart.
WISH: to use his talents to help others achieve and maintain sobriety
OBSTACLE (s): Needs (/would truly like) to earn a modest living from this by itself, no college degree, literally starting his life over (again) from zero and surviving on day labor until a better job comes along.
Invite him to look up Scott Strode, one of the CNN Heroes of 2012, for inspiration and ideas.
thanks. I looked it up and there may be a spark that ignites a forest fire. will pass it along.
He could lead retreats for recovering substance abuse survivors that incorporates kayaking, the artisan work, campfire cooking, etc. Sort of a success camp. I am daughter of a 30+ year recovering alcoholic and the meeting aspect is so important. The sharing of similarities but also the sense of survival. Just thinking and sharing!
I personally love this idea however, I can’t really see where the money would come from.
Definitely there are grants for sobriety and other retreats, and sober people are as varied in income as others, so he could always include a few scholarships per retreat in his pricing, or work with some local recovery groups to help start things up!
Hi there. I want new happy life. I lost my job last September, my wife left me, together with my doughter, we divorced and I moved to new town and trying to start from the scratch. All that happend last two months. I want, really want new happy life and probably it starts with new job for me. If I only knowed what I want to do now 🙂 Thanks !
Toncho, first things first. Lots of sadness and stress in what’s been happening. Get yourself what Barbara Sher calls a “good enough job,” any job that leaves you two days and most evenings free and unruffled enough to do things you love. Build toward a job doing something you love, but support yourself first and start doing little bits of things you love right away. When are you happiest?
I am happiest when I have clear goal(s). This gives me purpose. I was entrepreneur for about 20 years and was too much result oriented and successful. But I still don’t know what I want now, but I need job, because I need income. It is process – it started few years ago with losing motivation to work and I still can’t find the answer. The external hapennings are result of this my despair. The HR’s now are telling me, that suitable position for me is hihger managerial position. Othervise I am overqulified. Last 2 years I tried to start with entry level in sales and I was successful but obviously I irritated my employer with my independency and mostly process orientation now. Probably they are right, I am negotiating for managerial positon with big company now, but the process is slow. At the same time I want to start something own, but have no idea what.
hi, i have often a lot of ideas so if you write me more about what you like to do, which people you want to represent maybe i can tell you. i live in berlin, germany, i am from poland, and my own interesst are now in looking if there is any need to make interculltural selling or networking. i would like to be a intercultural networking, as one of four jobs, which i would like to do. so it will be my pleasure to give you some ideas, and than please give me your feedback, if you liked it. 1.can you imagine to work with foreign, small companies, which are trying to find a position in usa? here some inspiration from germany, poland, arabic area, israel and russia. so if you think you can imagine to work with small companies from Europe maybe i can give you first inspiration: e.g. my german boss has shops in japan, korea and i am quiet sure he would like to expand more (ampelmann.de), i know a man, also from germany, who opends a shop in usa, he is looking and helping the inventors to realise their ideas and get them sold: http://erfinderhaus.de/
also small factories from israel, and especially oman and tunis are looking for someone who could sell their products. look for multiplaner.pl this guy invented maschine to sell his self-invented kalendar/multiplaner. i really need to run right now. please contact me on k.jasiak@gmx.de if you interessted!
Well. It’s very hard for me to want by the others.
I read I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What Is. Chapter 12 – Nothing Ever Interests Me touches me deep – I am becomng nervous when I am reading it.
I’m an avid reader so I’m embarrassed to say that I just heard about Barbara’s work recently…just before Christmas. As a Christmas present to myself (LOL) this year I ordered all of her books. I finally found a copy of “Teamworks” which I picked up today. Late last week I received “Barbara Sher’s Idea Book”. So by tonight I’ll be finished reading “Refuse to Choose” . I’ve read all the rest and tomorrow I’ll be starting on “Teamworks” and her Idea Book. Wow! What a learning journey! I signed up for Barbara’s newsletter and found out about her coaching program. My goal is to take her year long coaching program. I’ve read that this is probably the last time that Barbara will be offering this program. Is there any way of confirming this?
The obstacles are that it’s soon (first workshop is Feb. 2 and I hope it isn’t full) and the five workshops are in Frankfurt, Germany. That requies five return flights plus food and accommodations plus the cost of the program. I’ve been on the internet tonight trying to figure out what the cost would be for the airfare. I’d sure appreciate some feedback about some creative ways of being able to pay for this. Does anyone know if there is a payment plan available for this one-year program?
Thought I would give an update, I’ve been in touch with the organizer for Barbara’s workshop in Germany. She sent me the information I requested. She also mentioned that I could use the Google Translate software (free) to translate what was not in English. It’s a wonderful resource! http://translate.google.com/#auto/de/
I’ve sent an email to someone who offers private lodging which is a five minute walk from where the workshop is being held. The course can be paid in five instalments. Thanks Barbara!! Just looking into airfare now. It’s geting close. Hope it can all come together!
Go, Pat, go!!
LOL. Thanks for your encouragement!
I want to move to Marathon, Florida, continue to build my cleaning business, write a book/books and work with kids.
It seems like I want to do it ALL and am having difficulty focusing.
I have lived in Iowa all of my life and am now 47!
I know that it is time to go but financially it is a struggle to relocate.
Where do I start?
Hi Shelly –
maybe you chose there because you have connections, but if not, I’d look up that city and see if there is a cleaning service you can work with that is established. If not, what kind of competition? Can you target businesses first for cleaning and send to a list with postcards to ask if they have a cleaning service and if they are happy with it? you can buy all kinds of lists online, and they mail the cards for you too.
if you had some work lined up, would not be as scary to go. Is minus -5° today here, so I understand wanting to get to Florida! When you are set, invite me down! I am near your age, you still have many years to work, why not start now if you don’t have ties that you can’t leave. (I still have kids in school).
That doesn’t sound like having it ALL. It sounds like a decent, well-balanced life, Shelley. A bigger cleaning business or a book you can easily promote both sound like good ways to come up with the money to relocate. Think about what you need to tweak about your cleaning business to make it easier to sell when you are ready to go: better bookkeeping? bonded employees? name recognition (this would be business name recognition, not your name) through a column in the paper or a booth at every fair and festival?
There are so many volunteer jobs where you can work with kids: in hospitals, in group homes, in schools, in Girl Scouts or 4H, and on and on. Don’t require working with kids to pay off in cash when you have another great way to come up with money and this brings you joy.
Consider writing a book or three about cleaning (tips to make it faster, tips to make your hard work last longer, tips for avoiding damage, tips for choosing someone honest/discreet/skilled to clean and building a great relationship with them, 20 cleaning tasks you should never skimp on, etc.). Then, when it’s time to move your cleaning business to Florida, you can schedule book signings, library and women’s club talks, Chamber of Commerce meeting presentations, etc. about the book(s) for your cleaning service launch.
What do you see as your biggest obstacle to getting started on all this?
Hi Shelley,
I’m aware of Marathon. We own a property in the northern part of FL. I just went on the City of Marathon’s website and they’re looking for a part-time office clerk. This might be a great way to get to know people in the city, to gain their trust, and to ask people about who might need cleaning done. Perhaps the city may need someone! I’m not sure what your background is but if you have these skills this might be a really good opportunity to work part-time and have extra time to pursue your other interests.Here is the link:
http://ci.marathon.fl.us/part-time-office-clerk/. Regarding the other part of your dream, I’ll tell you a short story. When my daughter was nine years old I asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She said the only thing she wanted was a business card like mine. So I asked her to create a card with exactly what she wanted on it. It read “K H’s Helping Service. I’ll pick up your groceries, walk your dogs, water your plants while you’re away and I love cleaning so I can clean your kitchen and bathroom.” Then she went to an apartment building (where a lot of seniors lived) which was very close to our home and she asked the caretaker if she could put them under the doors. She was allowed to do that. She ended up getting several jobs to help seniors who were not able to clean their apartments because of physical challenges. I was just thinking that perhaps you could mentor some children who might be interested in doing cleaning (or other work you enjoy) and then you could write a book with the children about this experience. Here are some inspiring stories about children who are entrepreneurs. http://www.cosmoloan.com/investments/10-inspirational-child-entrepreneurs.html
Have fun in Marathon! What a wonderful adventure ahead of you!
My dream is to be a working writer and actress who makes a really good living doing them. I have more problems with getting the writing career part started. I think I am a good writer when it comes to creative writing but I know that one way to make a good living as a writer is taking on writing for businesses doing marketing materials, direct mail, etc. but I have no experience with that kind of writing. I also would like to be one of those professional bloggers but the concept of how to do it completely mystifies me. I have a site reserved, but am too chicken to start. So I have fear issues, I have “I’m not experienced enough” issues and I also have problems when it comes to asking for help. I have “I can do it all by myself-itis” and I always feel like I am being a pain when I ask for help – be it from friends, family, or even complete strangers. So basically, my biggest obstacle is…me.
Don’t be afraid to start a blog. Almost no one will know it’s there before you get good at it. Just start writing, at least three times a week.
Think of one imaginary person you would love to have as an avid reader of everything you write (what age? what interests? urban/suburban/rural? what reading level? male/female? how raised? where? with what career now?) and start telling your imaginary friend stories he or she will love.
Mix them up: anecdotes, a comment about an interesting quote or news story, a short story, three rich paragraphs from a novel you would like to write, a scene. Or create a character and write the blog as the character’s journal.
If you want others to push you out of your own way, sign up for The Accountability Tribe for Bloggers on Facebook or The Ultimate Blog Challenge or a Success Team.
Thanks Patty! I will try your suggestions. Yes I know – I just need to start writing my blog and figure it out as I go. I’ll try those groups – they sound like they will be very helpful.
I love flower photography and have incorporated spiritual type messages with them (my life lessons that I focus on regularly). I’ve also made my flower photos into meditation cards I put next to my computer to keep me in a happy place. I’ve sold several to friends who are very enthusiastic about them, but I hit a real block whenever I think of “going big” and doing any real marketing. Self talk is “I don’t have the marketing gene, and I hate sales. What if they don’t like what I’m offering?” I’ve thought of developing a website for “searching for the ideal you,” but can’t seem to follow through. It seems I’m always starting up, learning how and then not following through on doing my loves professionally. I also do handwriting analysis. I tend to want to give my work away as gifts, and have a hard time figuring out how to make money at it. I get to a certain point and lose interest when it comes to making a business out of it. I never can figure out what to charge and am embarrassed when I do name a price. My husband who’s always been in sales has offered to help market them, but I never can seem to get them into a professional looking package/portfolio for him to work with. Help, I’m stuck (again)!! Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated! BTW, I’m about 1/4 way through your “I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was.” LOVE it!!! I always have a hard time choosing one thing to focus on since I have lots of interests. I’m also considering going back to school to get an MA in Professional Counseling but find the MA in Professional Development coursework the most interesting. I chase lots of rabbit trails, and get easily sidetracked with new passions. INFP, if you haven’t guessed by now. My “purpose” is always to gather lots of information about things I care about, usually spiritual in nature but also that will improve quality of life, and distill to purest essence to share with others.
Focusing when you have many interests is the subject of Barbara Sher’s book Refuse to Choose, Marty.
And since you have a product and someone willing to help you sell it, why not get rid of that obstacle of packaging by finding a friend who’s good at it and would enjoy the task. Pay her back with cards, babysitting, cash, whatever it takes and get on with selling your cards–or decide to keep them for yourself and friends and quit kicking yourself for not selling them.
Hi Marty. One of the secrets to success that I’ve found: when you’re lucky enough to find real ability, delegate! If you’re really married to a good salesperson who wants to sell your stuff, you’re incredibly fortunate.Turn the whole sales thing over to your husband – and make it good. That is, don’t sabotage his efforts. Give him something gorgeous to sell. Then you can leave the part you don’t love (and have no experience at, and don’t want to get experienced, apparently) to a pro and move on to what you enjoy more and do better. You’ve got a winning combination: you get to do the creative stuff and your rent is paid, too! If I were you, I’d send him a Thank You card.
Re your M.A.: It sounds like you’re saying you’d like to study these things, but I don’t hear you saying you want to do them as a professional. If you’re a Scanner, you love to learn. But there are many ways to learn anything you’re interested in without being glued into an expensive, years-long program that you might get bored with after one year.
However, if I’m reading you wrong, and going through years of schooling for a higher degree would be fun for you, and you’d really like to work in that profession for the foreseeable future, then disregard everything I’ve said about it. Study the field you like the best and do a grand job of it, because you’ll be inspired.
Hi Marty,
Design (and packaging design) students are always looking for projects to include in portfolios. You might consider contacting your local college or university design program to see if any students are interested. You will probably see very professional results and could pay a fair amount that is still much less than the going rate for a professional designer.
Good luck!
I am a professional artists and paint with watercolors and draw with soft pastel of mostly Hawaiian beachscapes with figures. I have started marketing my work at different local galleries. I am retired and am able to do my art everyday.
Obstacle: Expensive framing. The first gallery I took my work to, the owner said she chose at least five of my images ( very cool) but she said I must put more professional framing and matting to be hung in her gallery. Kind of took the wind out of my sail as I barely have enought money to do the art. This is very expensive. Help.
maybe you should try to ask the galery owner, to give you money for that? or look for other galery?, make some deal: pictures against frames. ask friends for the frames, or for the people who knows framemakers, or save every week small amount of money for frames. and why she is not offering frames, the art gallerist? friend of mine had some exhibition in dublin (?), he didnt got any money but all his puctures were printed out,. but i would ask for frames my friends first. 🙂