The Click – The moment an idea takes off. (Episode 178)

Ideas, even great ideas, can linger for years before they actually take off. The moment that happens is one of the most rewarding times for a creative person. Because it’s a moment that has been anticipated for a long time. The moment that the idea finally gets traction is called “The Click”.

Here is a wonderful example of “The Click”.

Stefan Jonsson and his wife Anna Jonsson from Sweden lost a son, Jesper, on active duty in Afghanistan in 2005. To lose a child is a terrible experience, the saddest thing that can happen to a parent. But out of all the grief came something good. Anna and Stefan first decided to create a foundation to honor Jesper in 2006 and then a venue for veterans in Sweden. (Sweden, as hard as it might be to believe, does not have a venue for veterans.)

For years Anna and Stefan met with different people and organisations to try to make it happen, and while many appreciated the idea of a location for veterans, the project moved forward very slowly.

At the same time, one of the wealthiest people in Sweden had a similar idea of building a place where Swedish veterans could gather, and while he had the funds to bankroll the whole project, he did not have the right person to project manage it to reality.

Then one night Stefan, on a hunch, decided to write a letter to this person. It was just a one page letter outlining the overall idea. The next day he got a call saying: “I’m in. Let’s do it.”

That day was the 21st of September 2021. Today the project, with a budget of millions of Euros, is being executed and the doors to Sweden’s first venue for veterans – called Camp Valkyria – will open its doors for veterans and their families, probably in 2026.

The Click happened when Stefan wrote that letter to the right man, with the right message, at the right time.

Had The Click not happened, Anna and Stefan might still be looking for ways to make their dream a reality. And the veterans of Sweden might still be waiting for a place to meet.

Do not give up on your great ideas. Understand that sometimes they are just waiting for the right moment to come alive.

Pyrophytic plants, like Eucalyptus, can only open to release their seeds after the heat of a wildfire has physically melted the resin around their seeds. The seeds can lay in the ground for ages, just waiting for a fire to come and release them.

In the same way, some great ideas are just sitting there, waiting for the right moment to “click” with some person or some event.

When that happens – be ready to act! That is your moment to make your dream come true.

Cherish The Click.