what is a big idea?
You have an idea. The problem with it is that it's probably not big enough. What constitutes big?
Do kindly give us some criteria:
3 Musts of a Big Idea
Does it capture my imagination?
What do you lie in bed thinking about? Where does your mind go when you're having a shower? What excites you to read about or to watch? What would you do if you had no restrictions or limits? I suppose, what's the most exciting thing you could think of?
Start with that.
Does it make me intellectually curious?
What intrigues you and leads you down rabbit holes? Where does an idea take you? This is when you find yourself watching obscure youtube documentaries or looking in the footnotes of articles to find out more about a topic. Is it something that has depth and nuance, space for you to explore? If this space exists then it could be a big idea.
Does it offer me the opportunity for transformation?
Big ideas can transform you in different ways. Intellectually, engaging with it could lead you to reformulate your own ideas, changing how you think. Perhaps it's a big project that on completion will mean you become something else by definition - an author, a game designer or a marathon runner.
You could become something else entirely on completion of a big idea. If your idea is big enough and your execution good enough, you might change who other people are as well.
how else to spot a big idea
Remember, big ideas are often counter-intuitive, awkward and go against the popular way of doing things.
A big idea will probably excite you but it could also make you fearful. Standing on the precipice of becoming someone new is thrilling and scary all at once.
They can also excite opposition from others, those who stand to lose in some way if your idea comes to fruition. They may not lose anything tangible, it could just be their idea of how things work being called into question that makes them uncomfortable.
Does it come back to you? If you ignore it, does it come back around at inopportune moments, tempting you with its grandeur and possibility? If it does, it's probably a big idea.
If you've spotted a big idea that won't leave you alone, it's for a reason. You owe it to the idea, to yourself and maybe to everyone else to see where it goes.