Why We Should Stop Reviving Bad Ideas

Martin Williams
4 min readFeb 28, 2022

When I worked in Massachusetts years ago, I knew a divorced guy, and we talked a lot as I was coming out of a long term relationship.

He had a rule about reconciling with exes; he didn’t.

“I only move forward, not backward”, he said.

This thinking isn’t a 100% rule for me, as I reconciled with my once ex, and we eventually got married and are doing well.

Context matters, but I think he is more right than wrong. There are times when we resurrect things that are better left dead.

I believe in the infinite possibility theory and unlimited versions of us. And so, let’s use the example of reconciling with an ex.

There is a version of you that participated in the demise of that relationship. It takes to make it work and two to make it sink.

It will take a different version of you to have a fighter’s chance. That version of you will (most likely) not be able to make that relationship work again. And we haven’t talked about the other person yet.

Second and third marriages fail higher than 1st marriage because the same person who got divorced showed up in marriage 2 or 3.

So, in that case, my friend was probably right.

Let’s use another example, ideas.

First, let’s unpack a bad idea (since it’s in the title)

A bad idea is one that you don’t believe in or love, but want to do anyway.

Howard Schultz tells the story of getting his idea of coffee cafes in the states off the ground. Schultz heard “No” over 200 times when he asked for an investment in his business idea.

Was it a bad idea?

No because his vision eventually became what we know today as Starbucks (he started a company and eventually merged with Starbucks)

He also loved his idea enough to endure the rejection.

Ideas are more about people than the idea itself.

About two years ago, you got a great idea to build heated water slides (play along, please). Then after speaking with vendors, friends, or family members, you realized that maybe this wasn’t the most well thought out idea.

Then you forgot about it, but that is not the whole story.

The truth is that you became someone different. And that person doesn’t give two shots about heated water slides.

While driving or working at that job you hate, the idea came back one day. Now you have to decide on whether to revive the concept.

The idea could work. It is already working for a version of yourself somewhere in this universe. (Yes, I believe that a version of you is doing heated water slides as a business and having success.)

But do you love the idea enough to bring it into your life now?

Probably not.

A scripture in the New Testament reads, “Faith works by love” — Galatians 5:6, NIV.

I attached a different meaning to that scripture, but I realized more profound importance.

Faith is the ability to bring any version of yourself into your current life now. The happy you, the organized you, the financially successful you.

It also works in the negative; you can also show up in a lower state version. A lower state means we can also be depressed, confused, and unproductive. This is why we consistently decide what we want to be and how we will show up, and we should do it daily.

Faith is how we arrive at the new state, but love is the engine.

How far will your car go without an engine?

That’s how far faith goes without love.

I believe (and I’m not alone) that you can only be so good at something if you don’t love it. I think your potential hits the ceiling without love in the mix.

When you love what you do, you have the faith to attain the highest version of you doing it.

We should then reach for and embrace new ideas that match who we are now. These ideas are enough to take us where we want to go, provided we have the faith to take the journey.

If you are contemplating a new idea, ask yourself two questions:

Does this reflect who I am now?

Do I love it enough to see it through?

If both answers are yes, you are on the right track.

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Martin Williams

Mental Skills Coach, also will talk buidling your business while working full time and sports, so be prepared.