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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Baby steps ain't enough

Baby steps are important...but don't forget to grow. I'm thinking today of baby steps, because that's what I tell clients when they're getting started on some huge project that simultaneously excites them...and makes them want to vomit. I'm there to talk them down from the ledge: come on, it'll be okay. It wont happen overnight anyway: don't worry. I get them to focus on baby steps, doing small things, every day, over and over, to start the process. Have to start somewhere, and btw: you have to start today. That's irritating, right? But true. You start small, taking those baby steps till you can work up the courage to walk and then run.
Because, here's the catch: baby steps aren't enough. (Dammit...)
When I was starting this business, I went through a period of about 9 months of attending many business-related seminars, and workshops. I read a lot of business books. I networked. I even met with a few business coaches. All well and good. But until I actually started doing business, and not just thinking about doing business, well, nothing much happened. I would attend a seminar, add my name to an informational email list, scratch myself and think, "Excellent day! Got a lot done. Hmm, I wonder what's on adultswim.com?" There was also a lot of napping. (#goodtimes.)
I wouldn't exactly describe myself, at that time, as a titan of the business world.
Therefore, while baby steps are necessary to build up your courage...at a certain point, you must suck it up and do it. You must stop thinking and do it. To quote Yoda: "Do or not. There is no try." You have to do it, whatever it is, and accept that it'll be horrible and exhausting and frightening for a while, that you'll make many shameful mistakes and waste time...but that eventually, if you constantly keep at it, one day you'll know what the hell you're doing, and--here's the fun part--other people will assume you're brilliant and ask for your advice. (#Ha!)

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