Selective Listening

Try to do something difficult,  something new, anything different from what other people do. And critics, naysayers, and devil's advocates will always comment or critique. Granted, input and feedback are certainly valuable.

But only to a point.

Sometimes, paying attention to criticism--of your business, your products, your ideas will only serve to grind away the sharp edges.

To many, "new" can make people uncomfortable. "New" can make people feel defensive. If you're right, then I must be wrong, and no one likes to be wrong.

Steve Jobs said, "You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something: Your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

The next time someone criticizes an idea, ask how they arrived at their opinion. Look for the data behind the conclusion. Otherwise, ignore everything that isn't data--warnings, cautionary tales, and well-intentioned but poorly grounded advice--since you already know all those things anyway. Then keep in mind, analysis can only take you so far, especially since critical thinking tends to steer a decision towards conventional wisdom.

Innovative products, designs or services are only groundbreaking in hindsight. At some point, someone believed when others did not.

Apply a little selective listening to your critics and sometime that someone might even be you.