There’s something really comforting about having a plan.
A plan makes us feel like we know what we’re doing. It gives us direction and maybe even a little confidence that if we can just figure out all the right steps before we begin, we can avoid making mistakes along the way.
So we research.
We make lists. We open a few more browser tabs. We ask other people what they think. We tweak the idea one more time.
And sometimes, without even realizing it, planning becomes the thing that keeps us from actually starting.
Because there’s always something else we could figure out first.
The Problem With Waiting Until You’re Ready
We tend to think there will be a point when we finally know enough to feel ready.
When we have more time. When we know more. When we feel confident. When life calms down. When we finally have the perfect idea.
Then we’ll start.
Except that finish line has a funny way of moving.
There will always be something else you could learn, improve, or prepare for. Entrepreneurship rarely gives you certainty before you act.
Usually, action is what creates the clarity you’re waiting for.
When we started Charliemadison Originals, we had about $200, an Etsy shop, and a willingness to learn. We didn’t know how to build the business we have today because we couldn’t possibly have known what the next 12 years would teach us.
We learned because we started.
One step led to another. A problem required us to learn something new. An opportunity pushed us outside what we already knew how to do. Something didn’t work, so we adjusted and tried something different.
That’s still how we build today.
A Plan Is a Starting Point, Not a Promise
None of this means you shouldn’t have a plan. We love a good plan.
Plans help you organize your thoughts, decide where to focus, and give yourself some direction.
The problem comes when you expect your plan to eliminate uncertainty.
It can’t.
Your plan is based on what you know right now. Then you take action and suddenly you know more.
Maybe customers respond differently than you expected. Maybe something takes longer than you planned. Maybe an idea you almost didn’t try gets a great response.
Now you have new information.
So you adjust.
That doesn’t mean your plan failed. That’s how building a business works.
Make the Decision Smaller
One reason starting feels so intimidating is that we often make the decision much bigger than it needs to be.
Is this the business I want to build?
Is this the right niche?
Is this what I want to do for the next ten years?
Those are enormous questions.
Instead, make the decision smaller.
What if you’re not deciding whether this is your forever business? You’re deciding whether it’s worth exploring.
What if you’re not choosing your perfect niche? You’re choosing a group of people you’d like to learn more about.
What if you don’t need to know whether an idea will work? You just need to decide whether it’s worth trying.
A smaller decision gives you somewhere to start.
And starting gives you something planning alone never can:
Evidence.
You get to see what happens. You learn what works, what doesn’t, what surprises you, and what you want to do differently next time.
Then you make your next decision with more information than you had before.
That’s one of the ideas at the heart of Charliemadison Labs. We don’t believe you need to make the perfect decision on the first try. Make a thoughtful decision with the information you have, take action, pay attention, and use what you learn to decide what comes next.
You don’t have to see the entire path before you begin.
You don’t need a perfect plan. You need a place to start.
Before you go, we’ll leave you with one question to consider and one small step you can take.
Consider this:
What am I waiting to have figured out before I give myself permission to begin?
Try this:
Choose one thing you’ve been thinking about starting and make the decision smaller.
Instead of asking, “How do I make this work?” ask:
“What’s one small thing I could do this week to learn more?”
Then do that.
You don’t need to figure out step ten yet. You just need to take step one.
Not sure where to start?
You don’t need to have everything figured out. You just need to know where you are right now.
Our free Start Where You Are workbook will help you take a closer look at your business, your priorities, and what might make sense to focus on next.
