Unless we are someone who has completely given up all hope, which unfortunately happens to some of us every once in a while, we are all driven to succeed in our lives and in our businesses. This drive for success motivates us to look for ways to get better at what it is we do, which ultimately pushes us to look for ways to make improvements in our processes.
When we do make changes, those improvements often come in small, incremental steps. By nature, humans are a cautious species, and we’re usually careful to analyze our situation before making changes. We study the data, looking to see what has served us well in the past and trying to figure out how to do more of the things that have proven successful. We examine the current body of knowledge in our niche, looking for evidence of things that are working for others in our industry. We are constantly on the lookout for proof of concept, waiting to verify that a new method or technique works for others before we move to implement those changes in our own businesses.
Much more than our ancestors, we have become a data-driven society. People have easier access to information than at any point in history. We literally hold the accumulated knowledge of mankind in the palm of our hand. If we see one of our competitors trying out a new marketing strategy, we can immediately research it online, getting instant feedback on every aspect of their new tactic:
How did they find out about this?
How much did it cost them?
Are there any downsides?
Would something like this work for me?
While having access to all this information can certainly increase our chances of success, there can be a downside to going too far into the weeds. Quite often, we find ourselves spending too much time researching and learning while never actually making any changes to our process. We’re lulled into ‘paralysis by analysis’: the negative effect of doing too much research and not taking enough action.
Small business owners are especially susceptible to this phenomenon. Most of the time, we are the sole individual responsible for the success of our business, and the stress that comes along with that responsibility can lead us to become intrenched in our ways and thinking. We are hesitant to make any sudden moves, as we don’t want to do anything that might ‘upset the apple cart.’
Unfortunately, this fear of failure often stands in the way of our success. We find ourselves so worried about moving backward in our career that we limit our ability to move forward. We find out about a new idea, and spend a bunch of time debating its benefits. We examine it. We do some research. We think about how it might work for us, then we examine it some more. We weighing the positives and negatives; we talk to other business owners; we read about others who have tried it… on and on we go, down the rabbit hole.
Until, ultimately, we do nothing.
We’re not content with where we are, but we’re too afraid to make a change.
But, really, what are we afraid of?
We should ask ourselves, what’s the worst thing that can happen?
If we are already experiencing some level of success, is making this change really going to cause our business to fall off the map? Certainly, there is always the possibility of some negative implications, but will trying this new thing really bankrupt our business? Probably not.
So, why shouldn’t we try something new? Take a chance. Step outside of our comfort zone.
We get nothing without some level of sacrifice, and real growth is only possible when we decide to deal with the stress that comes along with change.
So, if we want something other than slow, incremental advances in our business, we can’t be afraid to make some changes. While I’m not advocating jumping off the edge of a cliff, there is something to be said for examining that cliff edge, looking for ways to cross the void, and utilizing methods that have already worked for the others that have gone before us.
We should just do it. We should take that chance. If we see something that we think will help our business, we shouldn’t be afraid to give it a try. Who knows, it just might work out for us, leaving us wondering why the hell we didn’t try it a long time ago.
We can’t be be afraid to, every once in a while, to take that leap off the cliff.
And just in case, make sure we bring along a parachute.
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Thanks, Joe
