“Instead of making excuses, why not make something happen?”
Greg Hickman
Nothing can be scarier when you are thinking about starting a business than believing that you don’t know how to do it. That stops many people in their tracks.
We live in a culture where not knowing how to do something is grounds for a smack-down – at least in the media or on social media. Who wants to intentionally set themselves up for that? Nobody I know.
The thing is – if you knew how to start a business, you would already be doing it. Setting yourself up to go round and round in a circle of hell, thinking “I-want-to-but-I-don’t-know-how – but-I-want-to-but-I-don’t-know-how” is a one-way ticket into a quagmire of crazy-making head-spinning.
This is where asking great questions can help you pull yourself out of the quagmire:
- Okay, so I don’t know everything there is to know about starting a business. So what?
- What do I need to learn?
- How can I start with what I DO know?
Here are some even more basic questions:
- Did you know how to play your favorite sport when you began?
- Did you know how to be a parent before you became one?
- Did you even know how to do your job when you were first hired?
Even if you thought you knew how, I’ll bet you faced more than one surprise along the way that you didn’t anticipate, and you had to figure it out. So you did.
You probably made mistakes when you first started. Did you worry about it or did you self-correct? Did you ask for coaching or advice?
It works the same way when you start a business. So what’s the use of worrying about the fact that you don’t know how to start? You’ll learn what you need to learn when you need to learn it.
As of one of my personal heroes, Marie Forleo says…everything is figure-out-able. The bottom line question is, how bad do you want it?
Think back. How badly did you want to play your favorite sport, be a parent, or do the job you were hired to do? Was there at least a minimum amount of desire that compelled you to put yourself through what you needed to put yourself through to get good? Or at least to stay in the game?
What is the experience you envision for starting a business? Is it compelling, or is it just a “good idea” because starting a business is the flavor of the month?
If starting a business is merely a flavor of the month “good idea” for you…then don’t do it. But if your vision is compelling to the point where you can taste, smell, see, hear, and feel it, your intuition will lead you to the people and resources you need to help you figure it out.
You’ll love the experience of accomplishment each time you overcome a challenge along the way. And that’s where it starts to get delicious…and sexy!
Did you overcome a scary excuse for not starting a business? I’d love to hear your story in the comments. If you are “stuck” in the quagmire and would like assistance getting yourself out, contact us for a complimentary “Get Acquainted” coaching session.