We all have ideas. But how many of those ideas are truly ideal? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, an idea is “a thought or suggestion as to a possible course of action.” An ideal, on the other hand, is “a principle or value that one actively pursues as a goal.”
So what’s the difference? Ideas are a dime a dozen. Anyone can come up with an idea. But it takes a special kind of person to turn that idea into something more, to turn it into an ideal. It takes someone who is passionate and driven, someone who isn’t afraid to take risks.
Ideas And Ideals
The difference between an idea and an ideal can be seen in two of the most popular social networking sites today: Facebook and LinkedIn. Both started out as ideas. But only one of them became an ideal.
Examples
Ideas are important because they’re the foundation upon which everything else is built. If you don’t have a good idea, then there’s nothing to execute well. But once you have a good idea, execution becomes paramount. Because no matter how good your idea is, if you don’t execute it well, then it won’t matter.
Facebook Vs LinkedIn
Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with the simple idea of connecting people online. That idea quickly turned into an ideal as Facebook grew into one of the largest social networking sites in the world with over 2 billion active users today.
LinkedIn, on the other hand, was founded in 2002 with the same general idea of connecting people online. But it didn’t become an ideal until much later. In fact, LinkedIn only became truly successful after it was purchased by Microsoft for $26 billion in 2016. Prior to that, it was largely overshadowed by Facebook.
Ideas vs. Execution
There are a lot of factors that go into whether or not an execution is successful. But at the end of the day, it really boils down to two things: ideas and execution. A great idea executed poorly will still result in a poor outcome. But a mediocre idea executed well can still result in a great outcome.
Think about it like this: you can have the best team of chefs in the world, but if you’re trying to execute a recipe for a chocolate cake that calls for mayonnaise instead of eggs, it’s not going to turn out well. On the other hand, if you have a great recipe but your team of chefs is inexperienced, then your cake might not turn out as beautifully as it could have. So while execution is important, it’s also important to have a great idea to start with.
Conclusion
So what’s the moral of the story? If you want to turn your ideas into reality, you need to turn them into ideals. You need to be passionate and driven, you need to be willing to take risks. Only then will you achieve success.
The next time you’re working on a project—whether it’s something as small as making dinner or something as big as launching a new product—remember that it’s not just about having a great idea. It’s also about executing that idea well. Because at the end of the day, execution is what really matters.
