HAVE YOU EVER, while sitting in a room with friends or colleagues who are discussing a new business idea or job opportunity, said to yourself, “I’ve heard this record before!”? Sure—we all have. It’s a perfect example of the biggest bottleneck when it comes to achievement, productivity and success. Every time I hear someone say that they’re “going to do” something, and I’ve heard it several times before, it’s all I can do to not stand up on my chair and holler at them, “So, do it already!”
It’s sad, but so many individuals genuinely have great business ideas that, if implemented, could truly change their lives. However, it’s unfortunate that most of those people are too busy getting ready to get ready. They can usually be found sitting around a coffee shop or a local watering hole handing out their latest initiative’s business cards and marketing materials while talking all-the-while about how successful they will soon be and that it’s only going to take a few months of planning and execution before they get “there.”
These people crack me up. It seems like every 3-6 months, they are spending $500-1,500 on the screen printed T-shirts, pens, magnets, etc., when if they would simply stick with one thing for more than ten minutes, they would have something—something truly significant! The bottom line is the majority of businesses don’t fail because of the product, service or idea, but because of the lack of dedication, follow-through and willingness to put rubber to the road.
Don’t get caught in the loop. Make it happen!
Instead of “the loop,” focus on the realities at hand. Although it is important to think through all of the risks or potential issues associated with a venture, it is equally important to revisit the idea or widget that got you excited in the first place and take yourself to the proverbial 30,000-foot aerial view to recognize that, quite often, you are over thinking the details. Don’t be afraid to go back to basics, especially if it helps qualify the viability of the whole idea.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve been there. I’m the guy that used to reduce everything down to the most insignificant detail trying to find the flaws when in reality, what I was focusing on was so far away from the main idea that days, weeks and months would fly by and by the time I would come up for air, I was so burned-out running through the idea from all directions, that I didn’t even have an interest, nor did I think the idea would work. Remember, I’m not trying to say the details are not important, I’m simply saying that sometimes you need to focus on the whole plate, not each individual pea, and don’t be afraid of the first step toward your goal.
