WEEK 98: ENCOUNTERING THE DIP

In any moment of decision, the best thing to do is the right thing. The worst thing you could do is nothing.   Theodore Roosevelt

REFLECTIONS (learnings and actions): Who here has every tried to take on a massive goal or a monumental task which stretched you to the point where you felt major indecision?

Can I do it?

Will it work?

What happens if....?

Could I fail?

These are but a few of the questions which were racing through my mind this week. Why?

This week I took steps to move my company forward and wanted to complete the following tasks:

1. Set-up business account.

2. Get feedback on a project from a influencer.

3. Continue conversations and close a prospective client.

Before I tell you the results, I want to share a quote from Dan Kennedy, and expert direct marketer. 

"Entrepreneurial life is about solving of a NEVER-ending stream of problems." ( I will write more about this in later weeks)

I had an illusion that once my businesses started, everything would be easier in some way. However, I have found there are actually more problems to solve today than when I started. Actually, a lot more. 

Now back to my three tasks.

1. Set-up business account.

I was rejected as I did not have a physical address for my office. This was after I set up a mailbox, sat on the phone for 3 hrs to talk to a representative (over a three day period).

2. Get feedback on a project from a influencer.

I was making large strides and getting the attention of an influencer, but once he saw my initial project he was a little put off. I actually took the info he had provided and combined it in a new way, but it did not seem to sit well with him (or that is what I am thinking, could be different). 

I gave him another project I am working on and he went through and saw all of it. I made several attempts to contact him...yet, NO response.

Crickets. Thus the uncertainty of it all has led to me think about ALL the possibilities, most of them bad.

3. Continue conversations and close a prospective client.

Lastly, I contacted a prospective client last week who was super interested, and we decided to get on another call this week, but again...crickets.

These are but a few of the challenges I face on a daily basis.

In the last couple of weeks I have written about the three step process to overcome the uncomfortable feelings when you encounter your DIP on the path to achieving success and your dreams.

1. Body is ready for action.

2. More o2 for the brain.

3. Trigger to make room (as you're judging and comparing your results to someone else) and analyze principles, daily decisions and actions. 

I want to add another one

4. Indecision. 

This is something which happened to me this week and this is another "trigger" to tell you are on the right path. However, it is the same resistance which keeps you frozen from taking action. 

First, you need to apply First Principles. I learned this from Elon Musk and it is the idea which led him to creating the Tesla line of cars. I am not going into the story here, but search "First Principles" and Elon Musk and you will be able to find the story.

First principles is where you break down an idea to its fundamental parts and ask "What do we know is true?"

I did this, this week when my mind was was being crippled with indecision.

For example, a thought I had was..."What happens if the influencer does not like my project?"

I broke it down into its fundamental parts: He can either, one like it (awesome!) or two not like it. Then, asked "What do we know is true?" The truth is, either outcome has no bearing on what actions I can take next. 

And this leads to next step, which is to be DISCIPLINED over what is easy.

Being disciplined requires you to take actions you know work, even if you feel uncertain about the result. Instead of the "Easy" part, which would be to sit there and think about all the different possibilities and NOT take action. 

Thus if you feel indecision and are frozen in doubt on the path to achieving your dreams, know you are in the right place. Second, apply First Principles and stay "Disciplined over easy" to move past the uncomfortable feelings and achieve massive success. 

What Went Well?

I promise this is not a copy and paste error....Traveling, living out of suitcases, children and wife sick, yet Weekly Task completed!

What is something we can improve? What actions can we take next week?

Measuring and reporting on new habits I am implementing. I have had difficulty in the past weeks in incorporating some new habits and need to, one measure them and two, report on them to make the modifications to ingrain them into my daily schedule.

As, I have learned you can never change what you do not track.

What is something to avoid next week?

Not measuring and reporting new habits. 

-----
PLANNING (Implementation Intention):  You will follow through 2X to 3X more likely to complete your weekly task than you normally would just by filling in the following statement.

I plan to complete the weekly task [day] at [time] in [location]. 

A reminder you might have to use multiple Implementation Intentions in order to follow through.

EXECUTION (strategies used):  From week to week, I use a combination of many strategies. There are always some which are used more than others depending on what comes up, but I wanted to offer a link to all them at once. 

My advice is to identify the I CAN'T statement you tell yourself during the most. Then find a strategy below the statement which resonates with you, and then start using it. 

Enjoy!

STRATEGY LIST