STUCK PREPARING
Recently at one of our Morning Think Tanks at The Lab we had a conversation around our habit of getting stuck preparing for action. We can often find ourselves spending lots of time and energy on the preparation for action as a means for avoiding the action itself. This sort of behaviour pattern is a form of avoidance or procrastination, both of which bring chaos and clutter raining down!
The particular example that came up for us had to do with making videos for our social media. Everyone of us as business owners knows that video produce the most engaging content, and are by far the most effective content in our marketing. However, due to insecurities and perfectionism, most of us avoid making them.
Instead of picking up our phone and hitting the record button, we get distracted by preparing to get ready to make videos. We go off and pay a couple hundred dollars enrolling in an online class on video marketing. Then we spend hours reading online reviews about lapel mics. We suddenly realise that we need to buy special software to edit the videos and mix the sound. We don’t have the cashflow for that sort of an investment so we decide to wait till we can afford the software. We find that we have spent hundreds of dollars, and hours, into making videos for our business, and yet, we haven’t even made a single video!
SIMPLICITY THROUGH ACTION
This sort of behaviour creates huge complications! Instead, we could choose to create simplicity through action. Simplicity through action, cuts through our avoidance and procrastination. When we decide to start right where we are at, using what we have, we gain forward momentum. Simplicity through action forces us to let go of our perfectionism and find contentment with our present state.
Instead of worrying about online workshop notes, lapel mics, and the learning curve of a new editing software, we can simply focus on making a video. The only action we need to focus on is hitting the record button. This simplicity of action removes all the clutter and gives focus to what needs to be accomplished. Once we hit record, all of the “next steps” start to lay themselves out, without us ever having to go plan them out. Once you hit record, you already know the next step is to start talking. Once you finish talking, you hit end record. Then you look at the video to review it see what could be done differently… on and on it goes. You simply follow the next logical action, and before you know it you have a finished video uploading onto your Facebook page.
Once you simply take action, it simply happens.
LET’S APPLY IT
What in your business life has been creating clutter and chaos because your avoiding action? Write it down and commit to yourself what action you are going to take.
Bring simplicity through action into your workplace, and be intentional in looking to find how much clarity it brings not just to your business, but your life.
JOIN US
Would you like to join us at a Thursday Morning Think Tank? Email us at enquiries@thelabfactory.com.au and we will get in touch. We wold love to get to know you and your business!