This post is part of a series that fleshes out The TUNING Toolkit – a toolkit that helps people move their ideas forward.
REVIEW
The TUNING Toolkit is a set of concepts that we can use to move our ideas forward. The Toolkit has three short sections, titled BELIEVE, CREATE, and ORGANIZE. This post is the last in the BELIEVE section of the toolkit.
Two weeks ago, I wrote about defining your ultimate goal. Developing an idea presents us with a continuous series of decisions and an ultimate goal can serve as a north star in helping us make those decisions.
Last week I wrote about reclaiming your energy. When we work on new and unproven ideas, fear can impede our movement forward, stealing our energy. We can reclaim that energy by recognizing the fear and developing a plan to manage it.
SEEING THE FUTURE
This week I’m honing in on seeing the future. Seeing the future is about building on our ultimate goal to make it measurable and to give it a timeline.
Arlan Hamilton, author and founder of Backstage Capital, has a chapter in her book called “Write Your Own Headline.” When you write your own headline, Hamilton argues, “you’re setting yourself up to walk toward the future you want to see exist. It helps you have clarity… [and it helps] create a target that is achievable and clearly defined rather than a collection of vague wishes.” Writing a headline is an important step in turning an idea into a reality.
So how do we write a headline? We set a timeline and articulate the scope of the impact our idea or product will have on the world.
ONE YEAR TIMELINE
Start, for example, with a one-year timeline:
In a year’s time, my headline will say, “X invention helped Y number of Z people achieve A.”
A concrete example would be as follows: “The TUNING Toolkit helped 100 creative people launch their idea into the world.”
THREE MONTH TARGET
After we write a one-year headline, work backwards to write a target for three months out.
Concrete example: “In three months from now I will test a prototype of the TUNING Toolkit with ten educators to get their insights on what is working and what is not with the prototype.”
After writing a target for three months out, we need to get into a consistent habit of writing weekly targets that align with our three-month target and our one-year headline.
We must keep our eyes on the headlines we write. It will help us see the future and stay on course. And if we need to adjust the scope of our project, that’s okay. But don’t change the timeline. Sticking to the timeline is a good habit to develop, and when we do so the people we work with now and in the future–beta testers, customers, employees, mentors, suppliers, funders–will come to see us as people who deliver.
This post is part of a series that fleshes out The TUNING Toolkit – a toolkit that helps people move their ideas forward.
TUNING Design Co. 