Are you thinking what I’m thinking? #76 #cong18

Listening to those reoccurring ideas is important – they push you to do things outside your comfort zone and drive you to do things you wouldn’t normally do. Unshakable ideas happen for a reason and are a sign you need to act on them.

1. Listen to your gut – it’s usually always right
2. Follow through on your passions – if you care about what you do, it’s half the battle
3. Stick to your guns – stay true to your original idea and to the reason you accepted the challenge in the first place
4. Appreciate your achievements – sometimes we forget to acknowledge the great things we’ve achieved due to follow an idea through; take time to recognise all the good things you’ve done

John Reilly is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the award winning technology and gaming website, www.TheEffect.Net. He is also Senior Client Executive in MKC Communications and has an-depth understanding and passion for the consumer electronics and gaming markets..

By John Reilly

Here’s an idea; why don’t we focus more? Focus on the positive things that happen in our day to day lives. Focus on what excites us and gets our heart racing and focus on the ideas that you just can’t seem to shake. Our brains are constantly firing off new ideas every second of every day but the vast majority of them are discarded and never re-emerge again. The ones that do linger, these are the ones to pay attention to. Their reoccurring nature is a telltale sign to begin with and highlight that they need to be paid attention to.

Nearly 6 years ago, I was contributor on a now defunct technology and gaming site which I started writing for when I originally moved to Dublin from Mayo. It was a great way to build up my journalistic credentials and get more and more involved in the industries I love, consumer electronics and gaming. As 2013 gave way to 2014, I started having the reoccurring idea that I should set up my own website and start to forge my own relationships with the various players in the market, both locally and even internationally. This idea kept rearing its head and the more time I gave to it, the more I realised it’s something I would need to follow through.

After a couple of weeks of deciding on format, branding, logo and name, my idea to go out and start something completely new finally happened. With the support of my brother and two close friends, I set up my very own technology and gaming website, TheEffect.Net. The idea behind this site was that it would be something I would like to read myself. The articles and features would be something I would have an interest in and my passion for the content I was covering would transfer over to those who were reading it.

With everything finally up and running, it was now time to start to forge stronger relationships with the various technology and gaming companies and their respective PR agencies, both locally and internationally. My thinking behind this was that, being such a new outlet on the scene, it would be important to let these various organisations know who I was, the idea behind the new website how, with their support, I would develop the site into something which would grow and retain a dedicated and passionate audience. This audience would have the same interest and intrigue that I have for technology and gaming would be in their blood.

Now, with the 6th anniversary of the launch of the website arriving next February, I think back to that original idea and how it affected me to take action. These reoccurring ideas happen for a reason. It’s your head, and maybe even your heart, telling you something and you need to sit up and pay attention. Working on the site and seeing it grow over the last few years has been fantastic and, having recently been awarded the ‘Best Digital & Technology Blog’ at the Blog Awards Ireland for two years running, it really goes to show that following your ideas and your passion is worth it. Hopefully my story inspires you to follow those unshakable ideas you may have also.