When a new idea is first forming, it is highly vulnerable. Like an infant, it has a lot of potential but needs to be protected from all kinds of risks and threats—the threat of self-doubt, the risk of being criticized by others, and your own fear that it isn’t good enough. The idea can’t survive on its own yet, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. It just needs time and space to develop to its ultimate potential, just like us humans.
Each habit I’ve recommended above helps create an environment where such new ideas can emerge. Organizing ideas according to outcomes ensures you’re actively testing them in the real world. Organizing just in time preserves your time and energy so you can pursue unexpected opportunities. And keeping things informal by default allows novel connections and patterns to form.