I hear it all the time. “I can’t move forward because I just don’t know how to do that”, or “I need more information before I can decide”.
To be blunt, you don’t. I am not promoting ignorance, but rather challenging you to commit and act. Ultimate failure is rooted in the failure to act. A so-called “wrong” decision is better than no decision. A “wrong” decision will teach you what does not work so you can make adjustments and move forward. The demand for perfection and explanations kills possibility and derails progress.
Mistakes are a key ingredient of success. The fear of mistakes and the associated embarrassment prevents people from setting goals and pursuing great things. Most people will not set an audacious, amazing, seemingly impossible goal because they fear failure. They tell themselves that setting a huge goal is disingenuous and lacks integrity. That is simply a psychobabble security blanket to hide beneath.
It’s time to get up and challenge yourself to take on something amazing….something really big…..something exciting and a bit scary. And you DON’T need more information to declare it and get going. Going for a challenging goal only requires committed action. You can learn as you go. A challenging goal by its very nature calls you to uncomfortable, uncharted, and unknown territory. In fact, if the possibility of failure is not a component of your goal, it is likely boring and an administrative showpiece. In other words, wimpy goals are typically dog and pony and lack the power to really change anything.
Don’t misunderstand. You can set reasonable, functional process goals to get your car washed and clean your office. I am talking about career and life goals that are designed to challenge us, excite us, and call on the deepest part of us to transform and reinvent ourselves. So, what are you up to? What are your current projects? Would they inspire and excite anyone? Do they inspire excite and challenge you?
You don’t need more information. You don’t need to know how to do it. What you need is to simply choose to do something amazing and outlandish. Great things are accomplished by leaders who are willing to be a bit unreasonable and extreme. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? What would you love to go for, just for the fun of it? I challenge you to wake up and start living and go for it!
