The what and the how
If only there were GPS for finding your destiny. (Image by 愚木混株 Cdd20)
I’ve had the privilege of helping a lot of people go from ideation to execution on projects.
There are a few common places people get stuck. The first is in the “what.” They don’t have a clear vision for what they are trying to achieve.
At times, they glimpse a piece of that vision, but then immediately back off.
“I’d like to have a food truck,” they say, “But I don’t want to commit to working every weekend.”
Or they might say, “I’d love to start a business related to baking, but there’s already so much competition in the space.”
The vision is too big to hold, so they find a way to limit it or prevent it from even happening. There’s always a “but” attached. In order to proceed, they need to spend time crafting the vision without adding the “but.”
That “but” has to do with “how.” The closer they get to clarity about what they want to create, the more scary it is to be confronted with the unknown “how.” How are they going to make this a reality?
The assumption they are making is that they have to know how at the start. However, it’s not necessary to know how to do something in order to know that it is possible, especially if someone else has done something similar. We don’t have to see the entire path to trust that the path exists. There is proof that it can be done.
That’s not to minimize the challenge of not knowing how to do something. It is real, and that’s the next place people get stuck. The clearer the vision gets, the more frustrating it is to be unclear on how to proceed. At that point, the aspiring entrepreneur or creative needs help — help that they might not even realize exists.
This is where they can once again consider the example of others who have done something close to what they are attempting to do. They have to realize that, even if they don’t know how to do something, it can be known. They can begin to follow the path, collecting the resources that will guide them on their way.
Just knowing that there is a solution goes along way toward helping people find it. It allows them to resist the temptation to say, “I just don’t have what it takes,” or “I’m not good enough.” These are that statements that cause us to stop looking for solutions.
As a coach, I’m there mostly to guide people through this process so that they know what to expect and they don’t have to do it alone. And at times, I’ll put on my consulting hat so that they have some direct support on the how. But I’m just one of a number of resources that can be useful. Peer support is invaluable, as is just the right course at the right time. (Alternatively, you can look at what the course creator did and copy them.)
Whatever support you choose, the important part, if you’re trying to do something that you haven’t done, is to keep going. When you don’t know what’s next, the work is to figure out what’s next. When you don’t know how to do what’s next, you need to figure it out or find someone to figure it out for you. That’s the process, vague and uncomfortable as it is.
The uncertainty doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. The uncertainty is part of the game. It isn’t a signal stop. It means keep going. It’s a call to move through it to the other side.
Not knowing what you want to do is scary and confusing. Not knowing how to do what you want to do is also scary and confusing. But others have navigated this landscape and figured it out. You can, too. And if you can’t do it on your own, no problem. The others can show you the way.
