Barbara Sher’s Idea Party

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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.)

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4,428 thoughts on “Barbara Sher’s Idea Party

  1. I need help to save my home!
    I have been ill for five years and unable to work. I have enough money left in savings/investments to pay my $1300 monthly mortgage through March. Just posted an ad for a roommate on a local online site, in the Art and Architecture Departments at the University, as well as with local friends & neighbors. I need someone to help clean my home before anyone can move in. Posting is for March. I have pain in both knees which has made it difficult to walk. I
    am struggling in PT 2x weekly and am seeing a knee specialist. I’m a professional artist with a home studio. I haven’t any money other than Social Security after March. Please help me save my home. Thank you ~ Ann

  2. I would like to open a dessert shop.
    My obstacles include time with a full-time job and family to support, knowledge (I have never owned or run a business), and funding my business.

  3. I want to be a humor columnist. Ultimately I want these published as a book. But what format is available now? Blog? Web? Online newspaper?

    Biggest obstacle is severe depression complicated by an extremely hurtful relationship with one of my kids. Also I visit my husband every day in the care center; he has a progressive disease and managing his care is time consuming and challenging.

    So I have little motivation or disposition to write. I can’t see the humor in things. For instance when I felt better, my dog got his nose stuck in a cup and I wrote a column about how he needed to lose weight because his nose was getting fat. And one Christmas as I drove around with the tree on the car roof, I speculated celebrating the entire Christmas activities with the tree there. Hopefully these were humorous to others, and I know they were fun to write.

    In short, I can’t write humorously if I don’t feel humorous. Should I pretend to feel good enough?

    HELP.

  4. Wish: To develop a real sizeable audience with my podcast The Art of Excellence. And if I can do that… I can figure out a path to make money with it.

    Obstacle: Lack of money to invest in it. I already post via multiple social media channels (FB, Twitter, YouTube, Linkedin) and I have the website as well. I have gotten nice feedback on it (not just from my family :-)) but it just doesn’t seem to grow so I’m on the verge of giving it up. I’m just not in a financial position to advertise (that’s an entirely different story) and can’t figure out what else to do.

  5. Hello everyone! First time here! I am exited about posting this and I cant wait untill I can help you guys fullfull your dreams.
    I joined a success team in Stockholm yesterday and I was told to contact you.
    DREAM: I have a dream of traveling to a chinese village and help the community while learning chinese. For that I need to have an income that is based online.
    Long story short, I have started selling on amazon in order to start getting an income online. (My first product is swimming goggles because they are light, small and generate a good profit margin.)
    OBSTACLE: The problem is that I need 10 reviews from 10 american citizens (Im selling in america) who can tell me and potential costumers if it is a good product or not. Without them, no one wants to buy my product.
    I have tried giving away 365 units, advertised like crazy, created a facebook page with thousands of followers, used discounts and asked my whole social network but no reviews have come in. I dont know anyone in north america and people get suspicius if I ask them over the internet if I can sell them something in exchange for a review.
    Do you know how what I can do to get these reviews? It would be a big step towards getting closer to my dreams.

    • It’s probably the wrong time of year for swimming goggles in the US, Martin. Something like YakTrax might sell better this time of year.

  6. Hello everyone!

    I joined a success team in Stockholm yesterday and I was told to contact you.

    I have a dream of traveling to a chinese village and help the community while learning chinese. For that I need to have an income that is based online.

    Long story short, I have started selling on amazon in order to start getting an income online. (My first product is swimming goggles because they are light, small and generate a good profit margin.)

    The problem is that I need 10 reviews from 10 american citizens (Im selling in america) who can tell me and potential costumers if it is a good product or not. Without them, no one wants to buy my product.

    I have tried giving away 365 units, advertised like crazy, used discount and asked my whole social network but no reviews have come in. I dont know anyone in north america and people get suspicius if I ask them over the internet if I can sell them something in exchange for a review.

    Do you know how what I can do to get these reviews? It would be a big step towards getting closer to my dreams.

  7. I would like to join the online idea party. Am I posting in the correct location? I’m also unclear as to how we help one another out with ideas to help move each of us along.

    • This is the right place, Katheen. Click on the Reply link in any comment to offer information, suggestions, or encouragement to anyone at the Idea Party.

  8. I am really exited, I started voluntering at my university library and I subscribed to acouple of courses. I used to get very anxious about being in the right major and not knowing what career path to take because I used to think that you could only do one, but I am now going to start everything I’ve always wanted to do (maybe not everything because I know that if I force myself too many things I will want to quit all of them).
    Not going to lie, it is a little difficult to make things, but I am very commited to stop daydreaming and making everything happen.

  9. I have so many ideas and interests that I would like to pursue but fear and lack of money stops me from choosing one .. I start hobbies, do them for a few months and then they dwindle off .. I’m faced with a chance to start a brand new chapter in my life and I don’t want to make a wrong decision .. I currently have a decent paying, stable state job that I hate because it’s boring but it’s safe. I find balance by teaching kickboxing at night but find so much unhappiness in my day job. I want to make a jump but don’t know which direction to go in.

  10. My wish is to be able to follow thru and complete just one of my goals. I have half-written stories, a half-written screenplay…I have half assed taught myself to read in Italian, read Tarot cards, copy edit, bla bla bla. It is really exasperating and I know there must be something behind the obstacle of laziness and procrastination that is preventing me from seeing anything through. Even though I am curious as to why I am this way, I would appreciate any ideas of how I might actually accomplish something. Anything. Thanks.

    • If you have a particular creative or academic project in mind that you’d like to finish, I can highly recommend Rachel Z. Cornell of pronagger.com as a coach. But if your wish is to accomplish SOMETHING, but you cannot commit right now to one particular thing, you really need to find out why. Knowing why will tell you which approach will actually help you. The two most likely explanations can be found in Barbara Sher’s I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was (Resistance — a message from your childhood about the dangers of finishing, perhaps) and her Refuse to Choose (you’re done/satisfied/not needing any more when you’re where others would count themselves halfway through and it’s fine, as long as you’re not depending on any of these for your income).

        • Barbara’s publishers control the available formats, but all except Wishcraft are available in Kindle mobi (Amazon), Nook ePub (Barnes & Noble), and iBook ePub (Apple) eBook formats. Wishcraft is available as a free PDF at http://www.wishcraft.com. There are free readers for all of these formats, if you care to read on your computer, tablet, or phone.

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