It's the Start that Stops Us

I just found a note from the Inc 5000 conference I attended two years ago.  It was from the opening speech by Jill Blashack Strahan, Founder and CEO of Tastefully Simple. She started by saying that she enjoyed spending time with entrepreneurs. Why? According to Jill, entrepreneurs aren't stopped by the start.

That quote hit me hard.  It is powerful.

Most people are stopped by the start. I have watched this throughout my life with frustration.  People think about starting, and put more energy into the planning, than it could ever take to actually do something. I am not immune.  It happens to all of us. Put any legal contract or form in front of me and you can watch this phenomenon manifest.

Planning is critical.  The larger the project and the more resources it will take, the more planning can save on future costs and issues.  Always remember, planning is intended to SAVE time and effort, not add it. 

The trick is to plan without letting the planning paralyze our action. Here are four important steps:

1. Have an IDEA of where you're going
2. Start (where most people fail)
3. Commit to success with all your heart
4. Relentlessly execute until the idea is a reality

If any of those four steps do not exist or are not in alignment, failure is the likely outcome. If all four exist and align, it's really hard to not succeed.

"We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing.  Action always generates inspiration.  Inspiration seldom generates action." -- Frank Tibolt