Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it, go out and get busy -Dale Carnegie

Show Notes:

Finding the right balance between spending the right amount of time planning your efforts and taking action isn't always easy. We tend to lean toward either spending our time planning or just jumping into taking action with little to no planning.

Both are important.

Here are eight steps to help you find the right balance:

1. Set a time limit to how long your going to spend planning. Once you reach the end of the time limit, start taking action.

2. When planning, give yourself time to set the plans aside for a period of time, then come back to the plans. You'll have a refreshed view to validate the plans you've already captured.

3. Determine when your plan is "good enough" to allow you to move forward. Avoid tendencies for creating the perfect plan. Realize that planning should be an ongoing activity that you should revisit throughout the process to ensure you're still on track.

4. Acknowledge when you're using planning as an excuse to not begin taking action. Recognize what action step is causing you anxiety and address this issue.

5. Validate your plan with 1-2 mentors that understand the business and support your efforts and desire. Do not waste your time trying to have your non-supportive friends validate your plan if they don't believe in what your pursing and have no experience in the business your interested in.

6. Ensure your action steps are aligned to the end goal. Don't get distracted by new opportunities that will come your way, but also be sure to listen to the marketplace as it may be telling you an adjustment is needed.

7. Create a schedule for taking action. If you need to sell, set time in your weekly calendar to go sell your product and service on regular intervals.

8. If your struggling to take action, consider turning it into a game that will help motivate you to take action.

For more information, review the transcription at: https://www.jeremyepp.com/episode16, and learn about utilizing the Waterfall Method to planning.