Top 5 Things that are Easier Said than Done

We have all done it from time to time: announce a "let's do this" idea, only for expectations of the suggestion to far exceed the reality. Here are five examples of those ideas that appear better in words than in practice.

1. Have lunch on the beach

It's the middle of an ideal summer's day. You've the perfect spot on the beach -- the air is warm, the breeze is light and comforting. Then you bring out the food. Within seconds, your personal space has been invaded by a flock of seagulls, your sandwich's main ingredient is indeed sand, and the wind for some unknown reason has picked up, with napkins, paper plates and plastic cups now flying everywhere. Dinner at home suddenly seems the best idea you have had all day.

2. Drink/Make home made lemonade

It was in 1915 when the world first heard the phrase, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade". Well, any homemade lemonade is not a patch on the mass-consumed variety (yes it is true, admit it). Sure it may look refreshing, but it is often either too bitter, or too sweet. With that, more than likely the person responsible for concocting said homemade delight is standing right in front of you, thus forcing you to feign enjoyment. Try telling them how great the drink is, as you spit out a lemon pip.

3. Karaoke

There is nothing better than a night out, belting out a song or two with friends, or work colleagues. Really? Nothing better? Not even homemade lemonade or lunch on the beach? Karaoke may be popular in some parts of the world, but if you didn't grow up with it, then your karaoke experience will be spent following this pattern: you will spend most of the night generating the courage to actually sing, while leafing through the menu of songs you can choose from; you select your song and are ready to take to the microphone, only to wait for the umpteenth version of "Love Shack" to finish; and eventually, when you are on stage, your friends have no interest in your efforts and your three minutes of fame are lost for eternity.

4. Shopping at outdoor markets

There are a number of risks associated with visiting an outdoor market, the weather being the most obvious one. There is also the spectre of having nothing to actually buy at the market. A flea market, for example, is pretty much other people's junk, and there is probably a good reason why they are getting rid of it. Then there is a farmer's market, which in principle is a great idea -- promoting local produce and giving farmers an additional source of income. But, if you have been to a farmer's market recently, you probably have noticed very few, if any, of the merchants selling produce have ever laid a foot on a farm. And let's not forget that what is being sold, probably hasn't come straight from the farm -- for example the fresh bread or hot coffee for sale.

5. Host a dinner party

We all love a good dinner party. Correction, we all love going to a good dinner party. Hosting them is another ball game. The dinner "party" itself is a mere 20 percent of your time when you consider the planning, preparation, and of course cleaning up. Your guests will arrive, bring a decent bottle of wine, (that you may, if you're lucky, get one very small taste of), their conversation will be full of belly laughs and amazing insights (all of which you will hear snippets of, as you're too busy serving the meals and apologizing for the undercooked potatoes), and then, the guests leave. You're left with the clean up, which consists of: an average four glasses and five pieces of cutlery per person; seemingly countless bread, entrée, appetizer, and dessert plates; twisted napkins; and crumbs that would have fed a small army. Finally, there's the moment your efforts are rewarded: a "thanks for a great night, hope the clean up wasn't too much trouble" text message. Woo hoo.

These 5 are only a tiny few of the many ideas out there that should be put on paper rather than into practice. I'm sure you too know many ideas that seem so much better said than done.