5 Reasons Why Being Unrealistic Is a Good Strategy

Business is about numbers, statistics and hard facts, and
entrepreneurs must have a strong grip on reality to do
well. But departing from reality can ironically lead to
greatness.
Here are five reasons to leave reality, think outside the
box, and be unrealistic:
1. The only constant in life is change.
Especially in today’s digital world, business changes at a
rapid pace. Even the most deep-rooted industries can
change overnight with a new, unexpected idea. The most
successful ideas seem ridiculous and implausible at
first. After all, obvious ideas have already been created.
Related: 5 Ways Dreamers Can Become Doers
Think about Facebook. In the golden age of MySpace,
does another social network, created by a student
exclusively for a select group of students, sound like a
successful idea?
Instagram, a photo-sharing social network that offers
filters, was bought by Facebook for $1 billion only two
years after its launch among a sea of other social
networks and apps.
Uber disrupted the long-established taxi and
transportation industry in just a few years and is now
valued at more than $40 billion . In a similar fashion,
Airbnb, the social-networking hotel chain, is expected to
outgrow the world’s largest traditional hotel chains in
terms of value and bookings.
In each of these seemingly unlikely cases, the startups
tackled well-established industries and competitors with
new ideas that brought big results. Thinking
unrealistically can shake up old ideas and businesses,
invite innovation and create a lasting impact.
2. Reality is bred from thought.
It only takes one thought to change actions,
behaviors and outcomes. When an entrepreneur commits
to an idea, and are convinced he or she will accomplish
something, he or she eventually will. No matter how
unrealistic an idea seems, it can become reality if the
mind is resolute about realizing it.
Related: Borrow These 8 Lessons From a New Entrant
in the Sharing Economy
3. The most successful people are often
the most unlikely.
Beethoven was deaf. Ray Charles was blind. Innovators
who think unrealistically, despite potential roadblocks,
are in the end perhaps the most likely to achieve
greatness.
4. Unrealistic ideas create motivation.
Unrealistic ideas usually stem from, or center around,
passions. With passion and determination to achieve the
impossible, the team adopts an “us against the world”
mentality, and will work to make the unrealistic goal a
reality.
5. Technology changes everything.
Reality is constantly changing in the technology
revolution, and the impossible is becoming possible.
Unrealistic thinkers recognize this rate of change and
think toward the future.
Products, ideas and services that are now a part of
everyday life were unrealistic only a decade ago. The
growth of smartphones, social media, apps and the
ability to customize and personalize nearly everything
were once unrealistic ideas.
Thinking ahead can help entrepreneurs become industry
leaders, creating ideas that will address potential
problems and satisfy future wants and needs.
What’s holding you back from going for your unrealistic
ideas?