You want to start a business, but you’re not sure where to start.
So you want to start a business, but you are not sure where to start. At the most basic level, there are two paths you can follow. One path is to begin learning everything you think you will need to know and then get started. The other path is to just get started. Basically your are pitting the two sides of your brain against each other. On the one side, you have your logical/reasoning brain than wants to learn before doing. On the other end you have your emotional brain that wants to jump off the cliff and then figure out how to build the airplane. Finding a balance between these two sides of your brain and taking action is the key to success.
Knowledge is only potential Power
You have probably heard many times that knowledge is power. If that’s true, then why aren’t librarians the most powerful people in the world? The truth is that we all have access to an incredible amount of information that could lead us to almost any goal we seek. I think this expression really speaks to situations when a lack of knowledge is holding us back from taking an action that is critical to our success. When you are in action and you just need a critical piece of knowledge, then that one critical piece of knowledge can lead you to take the next action that could make all the difference. The key is that you have to take action. The knowledge only enables the action.
Taking action vs. Getting more information
Often we delude ourselves into thinking that learning is taking action. It is important to learn about your options before taking action. The problem is that this lead to procrastination. Before I started my first business, I spent years, reading books, taking classes and trying to ‘figure it out’ before getting started. That is like trying to learn how to play basketball by reading books about how to play basketball, but never getting on the court. You’ve got to get on the court and start playing if you really want to learn. When you take action and don’t get the result you want. You have learned valuable information that can lead to your ultimate success. That is the best way to learn, taking action is the key to success.
A practical MBA
At one point, I decided that I needed to get an MBA before I could start a business. I thought that if I got an MBA, I would know everything I would need to know about business. Finally, I realized that most people who get MBAs are trying to make a career change. They are looking for a new job, not trying to start a business. I suddenly realized that thinking I needed an MBA to start my own business was just another form of procrastination. I decided that I should just jump in and start a business. Running a business would be like getting a ‘practical’ MBA. It would be like getting on the court and starting to play. In order to keep playing, I would need to learn as I went.
Results come from taking action
I decided that even if my first business failed in the first year, I would learn more about running a business by jumping in and taking action than I would in school. I still consider this to be one of the best decisions that I ever made. Almost everyone of us learned to walk before we could speak. We couldn’t ask questions or read books about how to walk. We literally figured it out by doing everything wrong over and over again. Eventually, we became stronger and learned the coordination needed to stand up, balance and move forward. As we get older and learn more about the world, we tend to lean on learning by studying rather than learning by taking action. This mindset can hold us back.
Your desire to learn before doing is just masking your fear.
At some point in our lives, we become self conscious. We begin to become aware of how others perceive us. We often judge ourselves and others for making mistakes. This is a debilitating mindset. Fear of making mistakes will hold you back from ever reaching your goal. How many times did the Wright Brothers fail before they had a successful flight? What if they were afraid to try their first glider because other people might laugh or judge them. The truth is they only succeeded by making enough ‘mistakes’ to eventually find a design that worked. Mistakes are how we align what we think we need to do with what we actually need to do. We try something, it doesn’t work, we make adjustments and try again until we get the result we want. Mistakes are critical to your success.
The real power
The real power in life is emotional power. When you have a powerful emotional reason to want something, you won’t let anything stop you. That is often what it takes to be successful. You don’t need to know how to do it. The most important thing is to know what you want and develop the reasons ‘why’ you want it. Your ‘why’ becomes your driving force and will help you navigate the ‘how’. If you are being logical and reasonable, you might try 5 different how’s and then give up. You might say you tried everything and it just won’t work. If you become obsessively focused on what you want and why you want it, then you will keep adjusting your ‘how’ until you find a way to break through and reach your goal.
How to get started
I really believe that the best way to get started is to just follow your intuition and try something. You won’t succeed at first, but will learn enough to improve on your second attempt. With each additional attempt, you will continue to improve and get closer to your goal. A coach or mentor can help guide you, but taking action is the key to success. Stay focused on what you want and do not give up.
It is important to learn about the various options available and to find out what the best option for you is. It should be something that you have some interest in and that you could become passionate about. Below you will find a link for the Entre Blueprint training. This is the best training that I have found on the various options available for starting a business today. Taking action is the key to success. Don’t wait, start today.
