What is an actionable idea?

An actionable idea is a thought or concept you can actually implement. It’s not just a vague notion or pie-in-the-sky dream. An actionable idea has legs. It can go places. You look at an actionable idea and see real potential. Your brain starts churning with excitement because this idea could become something tangible.

Ideas vs. Actionable Ideas

There are ideas, and then there are actionable ideas. We all have plenty of “regular” ideas floating around in our heads daily—fleeting thoughts, opinions, musings—those random ideas you get in the shower or while waiting in line at the grocery store. But most of these ideas never get any further than briefly occupying brain space. We don’t act on them. We don’t flesh them out and see if they could become reality.

Actionable ideas are different. They have substance. There’s a kernel of real opportunity within them. You can envision a path, even if it’s a bit fuzzy, from the idea to an actual thing existing in the real world as a result of that idea. An actionable idea inspires you to take action well. To do something with it. Explore it, research it, discuss it, experiment with it. It kicks you out of daydream mode and into let’s-get-real mode.

Characteristics of Actionable Ideas

So, what separates an actionable idea from a regular old idea? A few key things:

Specificity

Actionable ideas have some specifics to them. They’re not entirely vague or ambiguous. There’s a “there” there. You can describe an actionable idea concretely, not just in broad strokes or hazy concepts. The more clearly you can articulate the idea, the more actionable it likely is.

Feasibility

For an idea to be actionable, it needs to have some basic feasibility level. You have to envision a plausible way for the concept to be implemented. That doesn’t mean it will be easy or that success is guaranteed. But you can see a potential path from A to Z. The pieces could conceivably come together. If an idea seems outright impossible, given the constraints of reality, it’s probably not actionable.

Relevance

Actionable ideas relate to wants, needs, problems, or opportunities. The idea connects to something concrete and tangible. Maybe it solves an issue people face. Or fulfills a desire. Or improves an existing product/process. There’s a “why” behind the “what.” The idea isn’t just neat for neat’s sake. It has a meaningful application that gets you excited.

Clarity of Next Steps

When an idea is actionable, you can identify the next steps to take to bring that idea to life. It sparks your brain into planning mode. Okay, we’d need to do X, Y, and Z for this to work. The path seems uncertain and filled with obstacles, but gosh darn it, there IS a path. You want to grab a notebook and jot down everything that must happen. An actionable idea leads to actionable steps.

From Idea to Action

Okay, so you’ve got yourself an actionable idea. You can feel its potential. You’re pumped up to do this thing. Now what? How do you transfer this idea into the real world and not just let it fizzle? Here are some critical steps:

Flesh It Out

Spend some time with your idea. Give it the attention it deserves. Thrash it out, think it through, poke holes in it. Talk to others about it. Do some Googling. See what’s already been done in this arena – and what hasn’t. The more you explore the idea, the more clarity you’ll get. Capture your thoughts in notes, doodles, diagrams, and lists. Get all that good brain juice out of your head and onto paper (or pixels).

Make a Plan

Once you’ve fleshed out your idea, it’s time to plan an attack. Nothing fancy is needed here – no Gantt charts, WBS, or other bizspeak acronyms. It’s a basic step-by-step that maps out how you’ll take your first concrete steps. What’s the very next thing you need to do? What comes after that? And after that? You don’t need the whole plan mapped to the end (it’ll change anyway). Just think through the next few key steps attached as a timeline. Be as specific as you can. “Step 1: Email Janice to ask for an intro to her packaging consultant friend. Do this by Thursday.” Bam. Actionable.

Take Your First Steps – and Keep Going

Plans are great, but they’re nothing without the action part. So once you’ve got your first steps laid out, you have to dig in and do the things. Start checking items off your list. Send that email. Make that prototype. Have that conversation. Sign up for that class. Whatever your steps are, get to steppin’! And then keep going. Your plan will undoubtedly shift as you go. You’ll learn things. Certain paths will dead-end while others open up. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Keep updating and refining your plan. And keep taking action on your idea day after day.

Reframe Obstacles as Opportunities

Here’s the thing about bringing ideas to life: it’s usually hard. Like, hard. You will hit snags, roadblocks, and obstacles that make you want to throw your hands up and yell, “Forget this! I’m going back to vague daydreams!” But here’s a secret: those obstacles can be huge opportunities. They’re often guideposts showing you where to dig deeper, get more creative, and rally more support. Reframe obstacles as challenges to be solved. And each time you solve one, it’s like leveling up your idea. Overcoming obstacles makes your idea (and you!) stronger, more resilient, and more likely to succeed.

The Power of Actionable Ideas

Actionable ideas have the power to change your life – and even change the world. Every successful business, every world-changing movement, every life-altering innovation started as an idea in someone’s head. The only difference is that whoever had that idea decided to take action on it. To not let it just stay an idea.

Think of everything that wouldn’t exist if someone hadn’t acted on an idea: airplanes, smartphones, vaccines, the weekend. All these started as an idea that someone (or many someones) acted upon relentlessly. They pushed through the doubts, the obstacles, and the naysayers because they believed in the potential of their idea. And through action, they proved their potential to the world.

You’ve got powerful, actionable ideas inside you right now. Yes, you! Whether it’s an idea for a book you want to write, a community program you want to start, a recipe you want to perfect, or a billion-dollar business you want to build. Those ideas have power – but only if you empower them through action.

Permit yourself to take your ideas seriously. Spend time with them—plan, plot, and scheme—and then do the things that will make them a reality. Put action behind your ideas because that’s how you change your world.