Imagine you don’t know how to juggle (not hard for me, I don’t).
Now, what if you read the #1 bestselling book about learning to juggle.
Would you know how to juggle then?
Of course not.
If you know how to ride a bicycle, do you remember reading a book about how to do it?
Probably not because for many of you, you learned to ride a bicycle before you could read.
And even if you learned to ride a bicycle later in life, you know that the only way to learn how to do it is by actually trying to do it.
And as you are learning to juggle, by actually juggling, you will drop the balls. Many times. That’s normal, it’s the only way to learn.
Just as you will fall down and off a bicycle as you learn. It’s going to happen. To everyone.
The same is true in business, there are some things you can only figure out and learn by doing them. You will not be great at first. And you will improve over time.
And sometimes starting a project is actually the only way to discover what the next step is.
You don’t have to have the whole thing figured out. And many times it’s simply not possible to do so. The doing reveals the path.
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
To learn how to do it yourself, you have to take action.
I’m not advocating sloppiness or lack of preparation. Do the research, understand the process as much as possible and then take action.
“The best way of learning about anything is by doing.” Richard Branson Click to Tweet
And don’t worry, you don’t have to face these difficult situations alone. When you get stuck or hit a roadblock, ask for support.
Most people are more than happy to help, and they may be in the same learning process as you and glad to have more people with whom to share the discovery process.
If fear is holding you back, read my post: Secrets to Overcoming Your Fears So You Can Rock Your Business.
Here are the two reasons to stop thinking and start doing.
2 Reasons to Do More and Think Less
1. It’s the only way to learn
2. Sometimes it is the only way to know the next step
Here are a couple of examples to show you what I mean.
Making Videos
You may be a pro at making videos but if you haven’t yet begun, there are some issues that you may only encounter once you get started.
Perhaps you are unknowingly holding your phone with your hand over the speakers and no one can hear you. Your friends will let you know, they are willing to help you and want you to succeed.
Maybe you’re looking at yourself as you talk instead of at the camera. A small issue and when you notice and change it, your videos will improve.
And the more videos you make, the more you will learn about the kind of lighting and backgrounds that work the best.
You might notice that even though you thought you had an extremely steady hand, that the video is shaky so you invest in a small tripod and the problem is solved.
Bottom line, the doing, will improve your skills. For more on video, check out my post: How to Get More Eyeballs on Your Videos.
Choosing a Tool
Once I was working on launching a passion project and had what I thought were simple questions for a survey.
I knew about several options for surveys (Survey Monkey, Typeform, Google Forms) and thought one of them would easily do the trick.
But once I actually started making the survey I discovered that I needed very specific functionality, so I had to keep looking.
There is no way I would have figured this out unless I had simply started. And when I got stuck, I reached out to friends and asked for help.
So whatever you’ve been contemplating, for perhaps too long now, begin it.
If feel there is something standing in your way, check out my post: 5 Obstacles That Are Keeping You From Getting Your Project Done.
Trust that you will learn and improve as you go and that you will find the way forward as you move in that direction.
And remember that this doesn’t have to be a solo journey, ask for help and support along the way. You will receive it.
Now is the time, no more waiting.
© Stephanie Ward
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Share the action you plan to take in the comments section below. I’ll cheer and support you forward.
