Today I’ll share 5 thoughts to help you get started on that project or goal you have not made progress on.
One of the things that hindered my progress on a lot of my goals was endless planning. I wanted everything to be picture perfect before I could start. If I was to be honest with myself the planning was just a cover up for the real issues stoping me, procrastination and fear.
For most, the first step into the water of the “unknown” is delayed months or years. For others their dream will unfortunately forever remain just a dream - wasted potential.
The greatest strategic plan is getting things done
Lets get right into these frameworks.
1. Minimum Viable Plan
The Agile Project Management Framework talks about this idea of starting with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
A minimum viable product (MVP) is a product that has just the basic function but still meets the requirements of the market.
We can borrow from this concept and have a Mimimum Viable Plan. Truth be told you can not have all the pieces of the puzzle figured out before you start.
Pursuing this is a timewasting endevour.
Not saying be careless and not plan, ofcourse do your due dilligence. Validate your idea, the market for your product or the value you bring.
However, do not be caught up in the web of having a picture perfect plan before you can start.
This leads me to the second point.
2. A-B-Z framework
Over planning by trying to get the full picture in most cases does more harm than good - Analysis Paralysis. This is because the question of how to get to a goal often times has too many steps to figure out and even more unknowns with how dynamic life’s events are.
A better alternative approach is to simply plan the next few steps of your journey and have a picture of the destination. Atleast you know your A and B with a picture of Z.
Often times once you state your B, your C-D-E-F may even begin to change and you’ll begin to adapt. For others you may even end up realizing the Z is not what you even really wanted. The most import part is to get into motion. Below is how I would use the A-B-Z Frame work for some examples.
3. Ignorance Tax
First heard this idea of ignorance tax from an entrepreneur called Alex Hormozi. In a nutshell he explains that when you take on something new to you. There is a learning curve everyone needs to go through.
Years ago when I was learning to play the guitar, there was a phase when my fingers blistered, had to repeat boring chord progressions to get the muscle memory working. Had to go through all this to play a decent song. After weeks I started catching on and became better.
Not starting something because you are afraid of going through the learning curve is costing you that thing you want.
Not starting that business to earn $1,000 is costing you $1,000 each month that passes.
Once you realize there is an Ignorance Tax to learning something new, begin! Pay the price of ignorance as fast as you can so you can quickly learn and start making progress.
4. Learn from Mistakes
I know this will hit some nerves badly but accept failure as part of the process. You’re response is what matters most.
I Love some remarks I heard from John C Maxwell about how he tries to respond when he is faced with failure;
“Sometimes you win sometimes you learn.”
“When you fall under the table, while down there you might as well pick up a pen”
Some of the greatest success stories in human history stemed from failures.
Steve Jobs and being fired from Apple the company he started
Tiger Woods after his scandals
Moses in the Bible after he killed somebody
The list can go on and on. All these people have something in common, they learned from their mistakes and moved to make great progress.
5. Start Now
I was watching a talk by a tech investor a while back about getting started with a business in this rapidly changing world and ever increasing demands from customers.
He basically stated that the first version of something is not the greatest. I summarized his talk as below.
Start the business (bad) quickly
Startups are like water pipes
All startups have startup clog in the beginning
Get rid of the startup clog quickly……..so fresh water can start flowing
Begin to get and ask for customer feedback on the little things
Of course keep a vision of the big picture but start small.
The sooner you start, the sooner you can get better and begin to make progress.
Conclusion
Hope you can get the courage to get started on that project, book, film, school etc. Will leave you with this qoute from Hockey Hall of Famer, Wayne Gretzky and a Tweet from Sean Cannell a video Marketing Expert.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”
Wayne Gretzky