When you need directions to some place you want to go, what’s the first thing you punch into your GPS? Your destination, right? Your GPS already knows where you are currently and quickly calculates the quickest route to your desired location. And what does it give you next? The next turn…. Not all your turns… just the very next one and, once you’ve completed that one, you then get the next one…
Now, what if your next turn is a left out of the parking lot you’re sitting in … and you’re in the right-hand turn lane? You turn right and just plan to make the block. But what does the sweet voice of your trusty GPS say? “Recalculating…” What doesn’t it say? “Are you an idiot? I said turn right and you turn left! You must be a moron. I knew you weren’t smart enough to pull this off. Please give me another driver.” Nope. She simply says, “recalculating” … and, assuming you still wish to go to the same destination, gives you a new “next step.”
Most of us have been led to believe that one of the most important traits of successful business people is having a well-laid out plan… knowing exactly where they want to go and a step-by-step plan to achieve it. Unfortunately, believing that this is essential to getting started holds many of us back from, well… getting started. Having a plan is great if it comes to you easily and quickly but if it doesn’t, you don’t have to wait to start… and you shouldn’t wait. Your life, as well as all the rest of us, are just waiting for you to take that first step toward realizing your full potential and all that it has to bring to the world.
I fall into this category, big time. I’m right with you. I find myself waiting to pull the trigger on lots of new ideas because I don’t have the plan all laid out. What helps me? That GPS analogy!
Step #1: Get a crystal clear picture in your mind of what you want. Do not be diverted by thoughts of what John Dooley calls “The Cursed How’s”… just dream with no regard for “how” you’ll do it. Now, dream even bigger. And try to really see it and feel it… being as specific as you can. If you are vague about it (“I’d like to go to North Dakota”), you get vague directions, probably getting you somewhere in the vicinity. The more specific, exact, and descriptive you are, the better directions you get in return, right down to which side of the street it’s on. The same is true in kick-starting yourself.
Step #2: Anticipate seeing and then acting on the one next step you intuitively sense is right. Don’t second guess it. Just do it. And don’t wait to see the entire path… it will reveal itself to you in the form of new ideas, surprise opportunities, ridiculously great resources and the very people you needed to connect with. I have NEVER had this not happen. NEVER.
Step #3: Get started and trust that you’ll just “recalculate” along the way. I once had the privilege of listening to and being interviewed on a panel by Bill Rancic, the first Apprentice winner. He spoke on business success and lessons learned from becoming “The Donald’s” right-hand man. He said the most important trait of successful business people in his opinion is Agility… in other words, the ability to start and then recalculate as needed.
Dream big. Start with the one next step. Recalculate as needed—simple, really… to step into your potential, your life, and all that big possibility.
You don’t have to be great to start…but you do have to start to be great.
~ Zig Ziglar
