Getting ready to get ready

Getting ready to get ready

Stuck is not a fun place to be.

Yet for so many, stuck seems to be a state that is stubbornly present, even defeating in the lives of so many.

You know, the web site tweak that just has to be done before you promote, the sales script that needs to have every word perfect before you make the call, the distraction of finding something new to create instead of focusing on the thing that’s in front of you.   And the worst of all – just not knowing what to do next.

It’s the Getting Ready to Get Ready syndrome.

And some of you have it… BAD!

I was talking with a client yesterday who is in a career transition.  But instead of hopping from one career to the next, he’s making an interim stop as a consultant while looking for the next path.  With a possible job that fell through, he was stuck.

“I think I’ll install some new tools on my computer so I’m ready when the next opportunity comes,” he told me firmly.

“Really?”  I asked.  “How do you know the next job will need those exact tools?”

“Well,” he said, “it’s kind of like home improvement projects.  You like to have a hammer around so you’ll be ready”  he said.

“What if the roof caves in?” I questioned jokingly.  “How is the hammer going to help you?”

He laughed quietly and said “Yeah, I see what you mean.  But what do I do?”

And therein lies the problem.  If you’re getting ready for the next opportunity but you haven’t defined or even decided what you want, you will never get the opportunity. It’s that simple.

“The first thing you must do is make a decision to get 1 consulting job.  Just one.”  I told him.   “Next, you must take imperfect action.  Start asking people about their challenges that you can help them with. Be in conversation.  It will lead to business.  I guarantee it.”

We talked then for a while about what to say to people and how to be in the conversation.  At the end of our session, he was not only unstuck, but actually excited about taking action – even imperfect action – to support his decision to move forward with this part of his transition.

No one is immune.  Recently, I was trying to make sure that our 2-Day Tuneup signature event was perfect.  In fact, I was working so hard to make sure the event was perfect that I almost forgot to tell you about it!  Just one more tweak to the website, one more segment of fun to get in there, one more…etc.   I was so engrossed in the “getting ready to get ready” to tell you that I finally had to make the decision to stop tweaking and start telling!  Duh.  But like I said – we’re not immune and we’re all in the process called LIFE.

So what do you need to make a decision to stop doing and what will you decide to start doing?  I’m curious.  Leave a comment and let’s get the energy moving!

 

 

7 Responses

  1. YES! The excitement that comes from Goal getting, is more that the satisfaction of Goal setting!
    I have several times, even as recently as this month, made written goals, with dates, specific steps, man I felt good! Today is one of those dates, and as I review, close, but no cigar. What was I missing? Two words, more activity!

    So, where do we find this elusive, “more activity”, it seems impossible, and even overwhelming at times. We find it one day at time, one step at a time, baby steps?, imperfect steps, Yes, one and all, Just Do It!, and enjoy it.

    Thanks Stephanie, your inspiration and invitation, is always a focus step for me, Peace!

  2. Stephanie,

    Talk about synchronicity, this post is so timely. I started my blog The Invisible Mentor (http://theinvisiblementor.com) because I firmly believe that people can be mentored by the information they consume (books they read, presentations they listen to and so on). I started the blog in March and I waited until seven months later before I really told anyone about it. I am very detailed oriented so I thought that I wanted to have enough information for people to sink their teeth into it when they visited the site.

    The next step is that I read about the importance of having a cornerstone product on your blog. I had created one (didn’t know that it had a special name) so I created another. I have six products, but I haven’t spent the time getting subscribers, so that’s what I am trying to do now.

    And yes, I have been feeling stuck. I have been taking imperfect action, and I am seeing some progress.

    It’s important to take steps, even baby ones, because in no time when you look back, you’ll be amazed by how far you have traveled.

    Avil Beckford

  3. I have been stuck–mired–in procrastination around the process of building the Web site and creating the marketing plan for a virtual association I want to launch. I need to go back to taking the baby steps I was taking consistently for a while, but I go into complete mental paralysis when trying to decide what my next action should be. I need to somehow get moving forward again.

  4. Bev Hanna says:

    Oh My doG! This is SO me…for years, I’ve been an animal artist – a pet portraitist, even though I hated it. I felt that I had to keep doing it because everyone kept telling me, “oh you’re so good at it, you can’t quit”. I’m now at the point where I am definitely quitting the portraiture, but now I don’t know where to go from here. I have several possibilities, but none of them give me that jolt of recognition – that sense of being able to do anything.

    I remember when I made lists and started prioritizing – it’s what started me on the portraiture – but I haven’t done that for years. I guess it’s time to take the time to do it again. Who knows what will come out of it?

    Thanks, Stephanie, for a much needed heads-up.
    Bev Hanna, S.C.A

    • Stephanie says:

      Wow! Thanks to all of you for the wonderful comments to re-commit to taking the steps necessary to reach your dreams. The mountain top cannot be seen from the bottom, so all you can do is take a step in what you believe to be the right direction. Keep your dream alive and enjoy the journey of getting there. Stephanie

  5. Rafiq says:

    Goal setting is a dream that you can achieve in a life time.

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