So you have a dream. A vision for where you want to take your life, or an idea for how to make a difference that inspires you. Now what?
If you really want to turn it into reality, don't even think about trying to figure it all out yourself. Regardless of how bright and full of ideas you are, you don't (and can't) have all the answers. So why hobble yourself?
Instead, make a habit of reaching out to others to ask for their insights and advice. You never know where you're going to find the missing piece of the puzzle, or the key that unlocks a door.
In one of the Global X interviews on the Social Edge blog, Kyle Zimmer (President and Co-Founder of a non-profit called First Book), talks about her "Ask Ten" approach:
I think the best advice I could give anybody who wants to be an agent of change is this: Be fearless. Get out there, talk to everyone you can talk to. Make a list - sometimes what I've done is made a list of the ten smartest people I can think of, even if it's a question or idea that doesn't have anything to do with their topic area - and call them. Ask them for advice. Ask them for feedback.
The worst you'll get is no answer. The best you'll get is wonderful advice. But keep going. Keep asking people, keep engaging people, because the answer is there.
She goes on to describe how she applied that idea in the early days of First Book, noting that two of the people she asked ended up on the organization's board, and are still there fifteen years later.
So how about you? What questions do you have? What is your idea? What is your vision? Who would be on your list of ten?
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