Sometimes the Stupid Ideas Are Worth Following Through On

Have you ever been asked to do something and thought, Well, that’s about the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard?

I have. And said that, And sometimes, I’ve been wrong.

Years ago, when I was working as a small business advisor, we were asked to write articles for the local newspaper’s business section. On top of everything else we already had to do. Each of us would take one week and it would go in the local paper.

I thought it was a terrible idea. Who had time to write newspaper articles? And was anyone actually going to read them? I told my admin at the time I thought it was stupid and she agreed and told me “Just relax Misty nobody will ever follow through on that.” I wrote couple articles, submitted them, and she was right the idea was never mentioned again, and never published.

Fast-forward a few years. After I retired from that position, I started thinking about all those articles, never published and the people who had told me they appreciated my advice and teaching style. So I decided to start writing again, first publishing on a online local paper and then moved to my own blog.

And I’ve kept at it.

Not every article is brilliant. Some weeks I wonder if anyone is reading. Some weeks I wonder why I committed myself to writing something every Tuesday.

But here’s what I’ve learned: The results of following through aren’t always visible when you’re doing the work.

Over time, my articles have brought people to my website, improved my visibility on Google, introduced me to people I would never have met, and even brought in business.

None of that happened overnight.

And none of it would have happened if I’d quit because I thought the idea was stupid.

I’ve watched people get excited about an idea, start strong, and then abandon it or never even start it. When they don’t see immediate results. They wonder why someone else is getting opportunities, recognition, or business that they aren’t.

Sometimes the difference isn’t talent, money, or even having a better idea.

Sometimes the difference is simply that one person kept showing up while the other person stopped.

Following through isn’t always exciting. Sometimes it’s boring, inconvenient, and downright annoying.

But consistency has a funny way of paying you back when you least expect it.

So before you dismiss that little task, that weekly commitment, or that idea you think is a waste of time, consider what might happen if you actually stuck with it.

Two years from now, you might be surprised and have a steady following and new readers

And the person who quit after three weeks might still be wondering why nothing ever worked.

Success doesn’t always come from doing something extraordinary. Sometimes it comes from doing something ordinary long enough for extraordinary things to happen.

Just another thought in my head on Tuesday.