I do love a good series. One of my most recent happens to be the Game of Thrones. Granted, I got a very late start getting involved in the series…my husband has read all the books and has been a devout follower since the beginning. This is a good thing because he often has to keep me from missing important aspects because the storyline is fast and complex.
One of the intriguing things I love about the series is the multiple strategic storylines all focused on one goal…to gain control of the seven kingdoms. Although, I am still going through all of the early series, it is obvious that the main focus changes during each episode, to continuously keep you on your toes.
As a strategist, my natural instinct is to plan then act. However, I have found that also being a perfectionist, planning gets in the way of acting. I have had to learn that plans are fluid and action often trumps planning when it comes to the forward momentum needed to grow in business and in our personal lives. The focus is continuously changing.
Firewalking…the term alone creates unimaginable imagery in my mind. Many of you Tony Robbins fans out there probably know first hand the experience of walking over hot coals in your bare feet. The objective of this firewalking exercise is to face and overcome fear. I can think of many other ways to overcome fear other than burning my feet on hot coals. To each his or her own.
Where I’m going with this though is that sometimes you have to jump as Les Brown says and plan on the way down. A perfect example is that I had a webinar series planned for over a year just waiting to be launched. I just hadn’t launched because I was unsure of the technology and systems needed to carry it off perfectly. It wasn’t until I was at a networking meeting when the opportunity arose to pitch the webinar series and put it out there. As a result, my feet were to the fire! To save face I needed to meet my obligation to deliver. Within a one-week time period, I delivered what I called my “beta” webinar and had 12% sign up and a 25% convert. The point I’m trying to make is that there is a balance between over thinking and planning and taking reckless action. Finding that balance is critical.
Most don’t take action for fear of failure. Putting failure in its place…as a stepping stone toward growth rather than an obstacle in the forward momentum will go a long way in finding that balance. There are several steps that can be taken prior to taking the leap that will assist in finding that balance for taking action quickly.
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Meditation/Reflection. Make sure that the action you are taking aligns with the mission/vision you have identified for your business. Through meditation we stop to listen without all of the other chatter interference. By focusing on where the action fits into the overall plan, it is easier to move forward quickly without having all the pieces in place.
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Understand Your Fears. Reflect on where the fear is coming from. Is it about failure? Is it about money? Is it about lack of confidence? By understanding where the fear resides, it is easier to move past it by facing it head on and not letting it take over.
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Realize the Importance of Failure. As stated earlier, failure is merely and stepping-stone to greatness. The more stepping-stones the stronger you become. Failure is a process that allows you to analyze your actions and make changes. The only guaranteed failure is not taking action at all.
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Learn as you Go. Look at every stepping-stone as a lesson learned. Nobody gets it right the first time. Expertise comes from consistently taking action and learning.
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Set Realistic Goals. Taking action with specific goals and then having the outcome not meet those specific goals is a disaster waiting to happen. I’m not saying to forget about you goals, but rather keep in mind that missing your goal does not mean the action was a failure. I may mean that you are just that one-step closer to achieving it the next time you take action. Stepping-stones, remember.
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Avoid the Squirrel Syndrome. You will find times that you want to do something else instead of taking action. The mind is powerful and can trick us into believing that we are doing something worthy of our time…when in fact we are avoiding taking that action step. Make sure that the action you take is moving you forward. A good rule of thumb…if it makes you uncomfortable, you’re on the right path.
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Slow and Steady Makes the Race. There is no finish line to taking action. It is one step in front of the other. Each step with a new focus, leading to where you want to go.
Where am I today is I have taken the next leap into the fire pit preparing for our first live funding summit in January 2018. Ever since, I have jumped things are moving fast and furious and all seem to be lining up in accordance. We will see how everything works out. Whatever the outcome, these summits will be held on a quarterly basis, so they will get better as we learn along the way.
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Biography
Danna is a Business Growth Strategist and CEO of MarketAtomy, LLC. Her passion is working with small first stage entrepreneurs to ensure that they start out on the right foot and stay on the path to financial freedom. Known as the Business Birthing Specialist, Danna understands the intricacies involved in starting and running a successful business. As an intricate component ingrained into her client’s business structure, she works diligently to keep her clients accountable and on track to fulfilling their success goals.
A graduate of the University of Central Florida’s College of Business. She brings more than 35 years of strategic planning experience in business, marketing and business development both nationally and internationally.
Danna is not only a professional business growth strategist, she is a public speaker and author with “MarketAtomy: What To Expect When Expecting A Business” and #1 Best Sellers “Success From The Heart” and “Journey To The Stage.”
