Too many ideas! Gemini overload. How to strip down and stay focused.

I often blame this on being a Gemini: I rarely get bored because I have soooo many ideas and interests!

Cool, eh?

BUT there is a downside to this: too many ideas can often lead to unfinished projects, scattered energy and a whole lotta business ADHD.

How to reign in this Gemini-ism, strip down and keep things tight ‘n right in your life and biz (even if you’re not a Gemini but just dealing with a bad case of creative diarrhea)?

Glad you asked.

You’re in good hands: because in addition to three planets in Gemini, I’ve also got three in Virgo – and Virgo is all about simplicity, details and organization. Here’s how I maintain my focus + remain prolific with all this stuff swirling around in my noggin:

Write it all out. Spill your guts. Write your ideas down immediately so you don’t lose them. I tend to get my best ideas when I meditate or right before I fall asleep. There is always pad and paper handy to record ‘em. (I have idea journals filled to the brim with my musings and flashes of coolness.)

Toss some tarot cards. Tarot is my secret sauce – once I get an idea, I love to turn over a few cards and use them as prompts. Often, they help me to refine an idea or to glean new creative insights. Not a tarot person? Get out a magazine, spend time in nature, put your head in another creative space and see what percolates.

Enlist help. Bring your ideas to a few trusted peers. My mastermind buddies are great at helping me feel out whether an idea is a win or a lead balloon. Don’t have colleagues you can bounce ideas on? Hire an expert to help you distill them down (I recommend Victoria Prozan).

Leave it be. I always put my ideas on hold and come back to them later. This is the same way I shop. I’ll try it on, put it back on the rack, and then go home to think about it. If I cannot get it out of my mind, I’ll head back the next day and grab it. This works great for my ideas too. If I put it to the side but keep on stewing on it, it’s a winner. Forgot about it a few days later? On to the next thing.

If an idea seems to stalk you, run with it. Create your plan. Block it out on your schedule. Once an idea is mapped out on my calendar, it becomes real and it’s time to get to work!

Shut out distractions. Limit yourself to no more than two projects at once. This will keep your biz idea ADHD to a minimum.

Abandon ship: if you are in the midst of a project and you’re feeling bummed out or less-than-enthused, pay attention. Is this true? Or is it you just getting bored and looking for something more glittery? If it feels like the project no longer resonates, kill it. I am perfectly fine with dropping a project if it’s really not working out. But if I feel that my own resistance or Gemini-scatteredness is getting in the way, I apply some hard-core discipline, knuckle down and finish the job.

Having too many ideas is a better problem to have than having none at all. Keep that good shizz flowing but don’t forget to come up for air.

“Ideas are easy. It’s the execution of ideas that really separates the sheep from the goats.” ~ Sue Grafton

Check out this cool story about the artist who won’t retire because she has so many ideas: An Artist With Too Many Ideas To Consider Retiring.