Idea Hoarding Won’t Make You a Better Creator
Still saving your “big” ideas for later? Here’s how to stop idea hoarding and start creating now.
You’ve been telling yourself you’ll get to it later.
Later, when you have more time.
Later, when you have the perfect idea.
Later, when you’re “ready.”
The problem is that later isn’t coming. At least, not in the way you think.
Life doesn’t pause while you decide. The creative window you’re waiting for isn’t an open invitation.
It closes. Sometimes without warning.
And those ideas you’ve been stockpiling? They don’t get better with age.
They get dusty. The details fade. The excitement dulls.
Soon, these great ideas feel more like unfinished homework than opportunities.
Why We Hoard Ideas
Perfectionists and overthinkers tend to treat ideas like rare collectibles. We keep them “safe” because we don’t want to ruin them.
We imagine that if we wait long enough, we’ll have the perfect skills, connections, or circumstances to execute them flawlessly.
But ideas are not meant to be preserved. They are meant to be used.
They are raw materials, not finished products. Left untouched, they become heavier to carry.
And eventually, they weigh so much that you stop wanting to pick them up at all.
The Myth of the Perfect Moment
You will never feel completely ready.
The project will never be flawless from the start. And the truth is, your future self won’t magically have more time or more courage than you do right now.
If you’re waiting for some combination of confidence, clarity, and calm to show up before you start, you’re not waiting for “later”…You’re waiting for never.
This Will Resonate
Start Small, Start Messy
There’s a reason most unfinished ideas die in the mind: starting feels risky. You’re afraid that making the thing will destroy the perfect version you’ve imagined. But the longer you wait, the less connected you feel to that perfect version anyway.
Instead, treat starting as an experiment.
Write the first paragraph, knowing it will change.
Shoot the first video, knowing it will be awkward.
Sketch the first design, knowing you’ll revise it later.
Momentum doesn’t come from thinking about the work. It comes from commitment and daily practice.
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What Happens When You Begin
When you finally start, two things happen:
You discover what your idea actually is, beyond the fantasy version in your head.
You realize that action creates clarity. Every small step makes the next one more obvious.
When you release one of those “someday” ideas into the world, you make room for new ones.
You will stop being an idea hoarder and start being a creator in motion.
Learn how to set small goals for big impact to help you craft a plan you can put into action.
Join us over in CREATE MORE CLUB for a self-paced challenge that’s all about just getting started.
Q for You:
What’s one “someday” project you’ll finally take action on this week? Share it in the comments, we want to give you virtual high-fives!
Damn, I felt personally attacked reading this. My “someday” pile is starting to look like an abandoned storage unit. Might be time to actually unlock the door.
This post hits home. I've done that too. To a degree still do it, and it's one of the things I want to change about myself. I recently had a conversation with and artist and I showed some of the things I have made, and she said there's no reason to delay in setting up a website and an online ordering service. So that is what I want to do as soon as possible.