READY, AIM...AIM...AIM

Does this sound like you? I just need to polish my resume one more time and do some more research before I apply for that job...or...I just need to compare a few more web sites and visit a few more paint stores before I make a decision about painting the kitchen.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating being unprepared. What I’m talking about is analysis paralysis. Finding excuses not to take action because of fear of failure.

I am working with an amazing guy. Smart, creative, personable. He wanted to apply for his dream job. He researched the company at length. We worked on his resume and cover letter, analyzing each word and semi-colon, comparing each nuance of the job description with his skill sets. Finally, he knew more about the company than the CEO and his resume and cover letter were letter perfect and ready to send. But did he send it? No, this amazing, smart, creative, personable guy spent a full hour coming up with reasons that the company could find fault with him and why he needed to do more research before sending his resume.

We all want to succeed, but some of us confuse success with perfection and that stops us in our tracks. Instead of looking for ways to move forward, we look for ways to backtrack. Our minds conjure up all sorts of scenarios in which we might fail. We believe that with “just a little more preparation”, “just a little more research” (read: “just a little more stalling”) we can take away all the risk of failure. But in truth, there is no perfect plan. So what is the answer? It’s as simple (and difficult) as this...fire.

I think Lee Iacocca said it best. “So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don’t sit there. If we screw up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we’ve satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late.” 

So back to the amazing guy - after facing the fact that he was looking for certainty in an uncertain situation and that not sending his resume was the best and fastest way to failure, he sent it...and he got the job.

So next time you are struggling with analysis paralysis, remember:

READY...figure out what you want

AIM...do your due diligence 

and then don’t be afraid to...FIRE! 

In this life 

we are all just walking up the mountain 

and 

we can sing as we climb 

or we can complain about our sore feet. 

Whichever we choose 

we still gotta do the hike.

I decided a long time ago 

singing made a lot more sense.

The only person 

you are destined to become 

is the person you decide to be.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

When feeling overwhelmed 

by a faraway goal,

repeat the following:

I have it within me right now,

to get me to where I want to be later.

notsalmon.com

TAKE ONE STEP

“If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.” - W. L. Bateman 

This has always been one of my favorite quotes. Along with... 

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”

 - Albert Einstein

And yet, we all do it. Wish for that last ten pounds to to go away but don’t change our eating habits or exercise routine. Long for an exciting new job, but don’t take the classes. Expect excitement in our relationships and yet sit in front of the television every night.

What do you want? Really, truly want? Can you define it? (And I don’t mean a generalized “I want to lose weight” definition. I mean a “I want to lose ten pounds by swimsuit season” definition.) If so, you are half way there. Once you have defined your goal you start thinking about it in a different way. You start thinking of ways to achieve it and visualizing your life after you have achieved it. This part is fun and energizing, but then it’s time to take action and it becomes not-so-fun. This is where all your doubts kick in and tell you not to try because you are just going to fail anyway. 

Here’s my suggestion...take one step. Put your running shoes on. Don’t think of the whole journey toward reaching your goal, think only of the next, best step toward reaching it. 

A client was recently told she couldn’t walk on her treadmill because of an injury and should consider another form of exercise. She freely admits that she’s not an athlete and any form of exercise other than walking is definitely out of her comfort zone! Her doctor recommended an elliptical trainer, as it would be a better cardio workout and would jumpstart her metabolism and overall fitness. Since those are her fitness goals, she decided to try it. She limped off after three minutes, fingers on her cell phone ready to dial 911. But instead of giving up, she tried again and did five minutes, then six. I’m proud to say she is now doing 40 minutes and it’s only been a few weeks. (and she’s lost three pounds, whoo hoo!)

If she had thought about staying on that elliptical trainer for 40 minutes she would never have gotten back on it after the first day. But taking one step at a time, reaching small incremental goals made it possible to reach her goal...and you can too. No matter what your goal, just take that first step.