I’ve always loved the term “marinating ideas.” Being a foodie, the imagery fits well for me. Folks that know me can expect to get the answer “let it marinate” whenever we’re discussing big ideas.
Glen at LifeDev has a great post on letting ideas marinate for blog posts, which ProBlogger Darren Rowse follows up with his Marinating Ideas into Blog Posts – My Posting Workflow. Aside from creative endeavors like writing, letting an idea marinate can have other benefits, especially in relieving FUD – Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.
The term FUD is often used in the software industry, particularly where rival camps accuse the other of spreading it about their products. But when it comes to major life decisions, such as making the leap to work from home, what I call “MindFUD” is one of the biggest hurdles you can face. Like the stuff that makes some cuts of meat tough, MindFUD can really put a damper on your dreams. This is where a good marinade comes in.
Take a flank steak and let it marinate in a great blend of flavors overnight and you have a wonderful entrée – a dish that without a marinade is basically like eating a tire. You’ve turned a tough cut into a stellar meal, just by using time and some well thought out ingredients. The same can be done with the MindFUD surrounding your dreams.
Take your ideas, your plans, your dreams, and give them some time to soak in the sauce of the unconscious. Over time, the imagined MindFUD will begin to tenderize and fall away, leaving some truth about your ideas. There may still be challenges, but the false MindFUD that the brain tends to conjure up regarding anything to do with change can be removed.
This results in a much more appetizing dish – one that truly feeds the soul.
BTW – The other key to a good flank steak is the way you cut it. Which can also be applied to MindFUD. But that’s another post.