iStock 000019027311XSmall 2 - Nehemiah Entrepreneurship Community

You have big hopes and dreams. You know God created you to do GREAT things in the marketplace. But what we hear from so many Christian coaches, counselors and entrepreneurs is they find themselves stuck in the “idea phase”.

Perhaps that is you too?

You study, you plan, you read, you take courses. You think, you create but never seem to feel ready to act. It’s what Tom calls staying in a perpetual state of “getting ready to get ready!?!”

Or – as one of my great business mentors called it – “paralysis from analysis!!!”

OK – let’s call a spade a spade.

For many of us – the desire for perfection stops us dead in our tracks.

How do I know? Been there – done that!!!

I desperately wanted to make sure I got it right. I wanted to make sure I had it all figured out and perfectly positioned for success. Now – within proper limits that is a good thing – but taken to extremes – I spent way too much time in my “gotta get it right” planning phase.

Opportunities were missed…clients needs went unmet – and not only that – my best source for ‘getting it right’ was completely omitted from the process.

What’s that source??? The marketplace itself.

The only way you will know – with certainty – that you have a good idea – that your product or service is of interest to your prospects and customers – is to get out there and get going! Sitting in your office or behind your computer – trying to make sure you have it all figrued out – is NEVER going to get you to the finish line.

You learn by doing. You learn what you need to know by getting out there and seeing what works and what doesn’t. You just have to do it.

So here is the bottom line:

No BIG success comes without failures along the way.

AND…when you fail ( and you will!!!) – use it to learn these 3 valuable lessons:

1) Don’t whine or take it personally! Well…if you must…limit it to no more than an hour or two. (I’m serious…allow yourself a little time to go down that road but you cannot stay there…it will kill you.)

2) Embrace failure and ask, “why didn’t it work?” Review what happened. Analyze your expectations vs. results. Use failure as your most valuable – real world – source of feedback.

3) Adjust and keep going! Ask yourself, “what can I do to fix it?” What can you tweak, change, revise and improve? Then get out there and do it again.

As the great inventor Albert Einstein said, “I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that don’t work.”  

” You never fail until you stop trying!”

Now…go back to the 3 valuable lessons – think of a particular situation  and decide how you will apply them.  Decide how you will use these lessons to get out there – chase your dreams – and do something great with the gifts, talents and experience that you are blessed by God to have!!!