Out On A Limb With No Panties On
All too often, when
I embark on a new project, I feel much as the title states.
Precariously perched on a shaky foundation, while exposing myself
to any who choose to look.
But, that's the
attitude it takes... especially when trying something new.
RISK -
"exposure to the chance of injury or loss"
What will you lose
if you give your idea a shot and it doesn't do well?.. To go even
further, what will you lose if your idea is a complete failure?
How much injury must you endure if you let it all hang out and the
market whacks it off for you? What's the cost? -- Is it worth it?
| "I
might be embarrassed if I fail." "People
may think me wacky." "I'm afraid to
let it all hang out." "People tell
me it won't work." "Conventional
wisdom is contrary to my plan."
"What if it goes well and I am unable to
perform as planned." "The risk is
too high." |
|
Any of this sound
familiar?
While I am a staunch
planner, it has been very easy to plan myself out of a plan.. especially
if I was having some of the above thoughts. Fear of the unknown,
fear of my inadequacy for the task, fear of failure, and yes; fear of
success have often times broken my desire and diminished my hopes.
Being able to settle for less than you want is a nice characteristic to
have.. unless you settle for less out of fear.
Fear can be as
big a motivator as it is an inhibitor. Learn to put your fears and
misgivings to work for you with the following steps.
1. Redirect
your energy - Worrying about things and being unsure of your
abilities and your ideas will drain you. It will force you
onto the roller coaster of "what ifs". What if this
happens or what if that happens, or what if nothing happens... You must
see things from all sides in order to make an educated decision; so
asking these questions in and of themselves is not a bad thing.
What makes them bad is when you dwell on the uncertainty of any answer
that you can provide yourself. Unless you are a seer of sorts then
you, not unlike myself, can only imagine and make preparation for the
future. It is here that you must redirect your energy..
Indeed, ask all the thought provoking questions, write them down, and
then direct your thoughts and energies to answering the scenarios with
honest, realistic answers.
2. Build
confidence in your abilities - The biggest fear that will hold
you, or any of us, back is a fear of failure. The best and
most productive way to ensure that failure will be thwarted is to build
your knowledge. When you make a plan and can back it up with the
knowledge to carry it out, then most of the battle is won.
3. Develop
a win/win attitude - I always try to approach any task with three
things in mind.
Taking the steps to
develop a plan, that I am comfortable with, provides a stable foundation
to build from -- which automatically places any endeavor on a successful
track. BUT, any foundation, no matter how well laid is useless
unless you build a structure on it. Thus - following my plan will
construct the desired outcome.
Being NO soothsayer,
my plan never includes all the uncontrollable events that try to
sidetrack me. While I build in as many alternative ideas as
possible, there is no way to think of everything that the future could
hold. Therefore, I try to remember that some parts of the plan may
not work, nor be appropriate once the benefit of time and experience are
factored into the equation. So -- I try to initially build a
knowledge and comfort level with deviation from the plan.. This way,
when it occurs my hopes won't fall.
Hmmm.. I guess
everyone measures success in different ways. This is where the
WIN/WIN comes into play. If I can take an idea -- make a plan, put
in the effort to follow the plan, devote my time and money, as well as,
my emotional well being -- Then I consider THAT a success. The
desired outcome is indeed important, but it is not the only; nor even
the most important factor in determining an endeavor a success. I
look back at some of the things I have done - and I must smile, and
cringe.. There have been high and many low points.. but in every
case, I learned things that I was able to use on the next crazy idea to
pop into my head. This is a win/win situation.. Not everything you
do will be what you wanted it to be.. but everything can teach you
something new.
4. Thicken
your skin - If your idea is new, (which is always the best) then
the opposition will show up at every turn. Many people will
graciously share with you their thoughts on why things won't work.
"Phooey on em", I say. Most of the time these folks will
be the first ones to refuse to climb the tree... they will probably
never perch on that proverbial limb. Let the nay sayers nnaaaaay!
But keep your ears and eyes open, they may have points that are worth
considering. Incorporate what you want and let the rest bounce off
your tough skin.
5. Learn
from the success stories while being true unto yourself - No
matter how much I would like to be as successful as some of the many
online businesses, I will never BE them. If there is one thing
that I have learned over the years, it is that achieving someone else's
desire is never going to fulfill mine. So, I try to learn from other's
successes, and then fit what I learn where I am able -- and toss the
rest. That way there is no keeping up, nor struggling to stay in
line... but rather a comfortable medium of what I want, built around
what I know.
The tree may be
tall, but if it's your tree then it will be worth the climb. The
weather may be windy -- but what the heck.. If you've counted the
cost, weighed and checked, planned and made addendums.. Then go for it
!! Strip off those inhibitions and get to climbing. Your
desire and willingness to risk will get you ever higher, until you reach
the top - OR - learn a better route for the next climb.
*%*%*%*%
Rusty is the owner of Nighthawks, an off-line business in the
construction industry. He also authors http:-------------
which offers free advertising and other resources for online
entrepreneurs.
