Do you have a passion or creative business idea you want to pursue? Great! Now, since you’ve thought of that idea, have you actually taken the steps necessary to make it become a reality?

You have an idea that you’ve had in mind for a while now, but you’ve probably held yourself back from acting on it because: doubt keeps rearing its ugly head, you’re afraid of failure, or society itself has told you that pursuing anything other than the standard 9-5 is impractical. These reasons or another have held you back from working on your passion. Instead, you’ve decided to just settle for the common, mundane, socially accepted way of life.

Fortunately, you can change that. You can’t change the naysayers that’ll try to tear you down at any chance they get. They’ll always be there. But what you can change is the path you choose to take in your life. You need to realize that you shouldn’t hold yourself back because of doubt, fear, or what society may say. And when it comes down to it, the only person really stopping you from doing anything is yourself.

Yes, choosing a different path from the norm can be scary. But let’s face it, normal is boring. And if you’re like me, you’d much rather wake up and do something you love with your day instead of tolerating something you hate. But in order to make that happen, you need to stop hesitating and start doing! Your creative idea will only come to reality if you work on it, and there are many different things you can do to get started! Here are some ways you can start working on your idea.

1.) Inspire yourself

What inspires you? Is there a song that motivates you the second you play it? Or is there a book that inspires you with every page you read? Whatever encourages you work on your idea, use it. It’s important to inspire yourself every now and then. If you lose motivation for your passion, you’ll be less likely to put in the effort to turn it into a reality. So if you ever feel like you’re losing motivation, take the time to reflect on: why you started, what you want to accomplish, and your long-term goals. Remember to stay inspired!

2.) Work whenever you can

Find ways to work on your idea every day. I understand how difficult this can be, especially when your schedule can be very busy at times. Your professors aren’t letting up on the work they’re giving you. Your job is already taking up a huge chunk of your time. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you need to do. But you must find a way to squeeze in some time to work on your idea.

Have some down time between your classes? Pull out your laptop and work on something. During your lunch break, do a little research and jot down more information. Before you go to bed, work again for a while. By any means necessary, work on your idea whenever you can.

3.) Stay focused

Stay focused on what you need to do. Make it a point to ignore anything that’ll distract you during work time. And when I say that, I’m talking about things like your phone, TV, the final boss you’re finally ready to beat on your game… those things. When you‘re ready to get down to business, the only priority at that time is to focus on your work.

So if you’re favorite episode of that show you’ve seen 1,000 times is about to come on , don’t even think about picking up that remote! If you’ve been working for a while and you need a break, don’t even look at your phone. You’ll get on Instagram for a minute and end up scrolling for an hour. If you need to, set your phone away somewhere during work hours. Block out any unnecessary distractions so you can focus solely on your work.

4.) Ignore the haters

Ignore. Those. Haters. And when I say “haters”, I’m not talking about the people that give constructive criticism. I’m referring to the people who try to tear you down, whether they’re complete strangers or people you know. The ones that only give negativity and no helpful feedback whatsoever. And you really don’t need that in your life.

It’s easier said than done to ignore that negativity from your peers, friends, and maybe even family. If they constantly put-down your idea, that can ruin your concentration and you may lose motivation to work on it. But you have to ignore all that. Don’t pay them any attention. Only you know what you’re capable of doing, and that’s not for others to decide. As time goes on, they may stop trying to tear you down and start supporting you instead. And if they keep on with their toxic ways, then keep on ignoring them.

Pursuing your passion or creative business idea can be both exciting, and terrifying. And whether it’s because of doubt, fear, or negativity, you’ve stopped working on it and decided to settle for the status quo. That’s boring, but most importantly, that’s not what you want to do for the rest of your life. But, you can change that.

Do whatever you can to work on your idea and make it a reality. Work on what you love instead of tolerating something you hate.

What are you going to do to start pursuing your idea? Share in the comments below!