Just Get Started: Clarity Comes From Taking Action

When I meet many of my clients for the first time, they are convinced that they must lay out a perfect plan for their business before they take action. “Let me think about this for a few weeks,” is what they tell me. I tell them, “You don’t need a perfect plan. You just need to get started.” Clarity comes from action, not from thinking about it. 

I’ve heard this an unfortunate number of times over the years from business owners weighed down with indecision, self-doubt, and overwhelm. Thinking about action is how you dream. Taking action is how you achieve goals. 

How Do You Get Into Action?

Mike Dooley, author of “Notes from the Universe: New Perspectives from an Old Friend,” has a great philosophy about taking baby steps:

Focus on the very next action step that is in front of you. You don’t need to see the entire path; what you need is consistent movement. The more action you take, the clearer the path will become. Take a step, assess where you are, then take the next step. 

As women, we want our ducks in a row. We want to feel ready before we start moving, so we think about the details, the maybes, the maybe nots. But thinking leads to more thinking and less action. 

What will taking action do?

Taking action gives us data that we can use to make strategic decisions about what steps to take next. 

This may feel uncomfortable if you’ve spent time in the corporate world, where we don’t always get rewarded for “trying” things and experimenting. But in the entrepreneurial world, you DO get rewarded - you get clarity around what’s next. 

Many new business owners are eager and impatient. They want to rush into a website. If you haven’t worked with a few clients, you don’t really know who your client is, what they really need, or how to market your skills to provide the solution they need. Your initial ideal client, approach, process, and outcomes all evolve as you work with your first few clients.

When I first started my own business, I THOUGHT it would go a certain way. But after I worked with a handful of clients, I realized I was on the right track, but they wanted something a little different, so I had to make some changes. Had I invested a lot of time and money upfront, building a website and creating a fancy marketing strategy, I would have had to redo all of it. I see the same urge in my clients who are starting out.

How Do I Know I’m Taking the Right Steps?

With entrepreneurship, there are no guarantees. Your first attempts are not supposed to be perfect. There will be some trial and error, and you’ll need to assess and refine what you’re doing. As your data expands, you’ll get the information you need to move forward.

Good enough is a legit strategy.

Perfectionism - the death of ideas and inspiration - holds women back all the time. Start simple, but START. The most successful and sustainable businesses are NOT the most polished and perfect - they are the most consistent ones.

Focus on the next right step.

The goal is building momentum. This is one of the reasons I like the 12-week planning window. Annual plans give you too much space and time. The end game is too far in the distance and out of focus.  A 12-week plan gets you into action and keeps you in the “now”. 

Small wins help you build confidence and momentum. 

What can you realistically do this week? Planning your week during a weekly CEO Hour and a daily check-in on priorities supports this kind of thinking. Ask yourself, “What’s the most important thing I need to do to move my business forward this week/today?”

Too many business owners wait until they “feel like it” or “think they are ready.” Lean into planning and discipline - start taking action regardless of how you “feel.” Here are some reminders:

• Stop giving perfectionism and self-doubt the power to slow you down. 

• Replace senseless overthinking with consistent steps forward. 

• Remind yourself that “good enough” creates momentum and beats freezing in place, every time. 

FAQs

That first step is so daunting. What are a few examples?
It can be a very small step, like answering an email, engaging with someone’s post on social media, or opening your business bank account.

How do I get started with a 12-week plan?

You can choose up to three realistic goals to focus on, then reverse engineer the steps to get there. You can also check out my Close the Gap program which gives you the focus to execute the project you keep avoiding — and start the year strong.

Taking your next steps will build confidence and momentum. Find out which of my offerings is best for helping you take your next step.