The Search
We needlessly postpone action with incessant searching for brilliant solutions to our challenges before acting. We invest an inordinate amount of time seeking the counsel of wise sages and TikTok influencers. In most cases, the answer is not very brilliant and is already within us. A lack of will, not knowledge, often prevents progress toward accomplishment.
If you want increased sales, you could thoroughly analyze your brand positioning statement, total addressable market, target consumer, trade dress, marketing communications, etc., to devise a comprehensive go-forward plan to drive revenue growth.
Alternatively, you could call five current customers who could buy more from your company and the five ideal prospects you have daydreamed about who could benefit from your products.
The lemonade stand owner does not undertake formal market research; she intuitively knows the quickest and greatest probability for sales conversion comes from thirsty landscapers and the kind neighbors who bought her Girl Scout cookies.
A couple of years ago, I lost a noticeable amount of weight, and my friends desperately wanted to learn my secret. They eagerly anticipated some Oracle of Delphi-like pronouncement about a superfood, juicing program, or fasting regime (in the time before Ozempic).
They were bitterly disappointed when my revelation was something they already knew. I consumed more fruits, vegetables, legumes, and water, which decreased my consumption of meat, bread, cheese, and fermented grapes. To their complete lack of surprise, I shed pounds following this consumption regimen.
Why Such a Pursuit?
We yearn for the exotic solution we can “justifiably” leave untried as too difficult. The plain, effective solution denies us a much-desired excuse. It also denies us the heroic achievement of profound thought. Issac Newton is famous for explaining something everyone knew – an unattached apple falls to the ground.
Of course, some issues require subject matter expertise, new thinking, and higher-level solutions. For instance, there is no longer a market for DVDs, and a thyroid condition preventing weight loss requires medical intervention. Nor do I expect my proctologist to learn the latest invasive diagnostic procedures from YouTube videos.
The Process
When you resist action based on a belief you do not have the necessary knowledge, ask yourself, “Is it true?” If there is a legitimate deficiency, correct it, but do not let the gap stop you from executing based on your current insight unless necessary. You must graduate from law school before representing a defendant in a capital murder trial, but not before calling a customer.
After all, action and its results may beget the information providing the necessary learning. If ten sales calls do not result in one sale, the experience will teach you how to modify your offering or approach to improve your probability of success.
If the issue is unwillingness to act, your motives, not your test scores, require examination. Many 52 Steps Forward posts take up the subject of motivation, and this post is an excellent place to start.
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Too often, the issue is not knowing the right thing to do;
it is having the will to do what is right.