Many times what holds us back from moving forward is the anxiety of moving forward. I know, it sounds basic and redundant, but here you are, and most likely concerned with some kind of decision that is overdue to be made.
“Well, we aren’t making money yet - common excuse to growth”
Startups are fun and exciting because there is something about stepping out and taking a risk! But entrepreneurs are notorious for wanting to do it all by themselves, and are often resistant to accepting help, or don't even know what kind of help to accept. I hear this all the time from new business owners, "well, we aren't making money yet, so once we get it all figured out, we will call you." If you are thinking like that, I would encourage you to consider how getting set up the right way could allow you to generate revenue much faster, and achieve results that will keep your business going. Believe me, I know what it is to bump along and hope and pray that something come along, or to be so swamped and buried in work, that your family forgets what you look like.
Established companies also find themselves stuck with the paralysis of analysis. Once you have the boat floating, it's perceived to be too risky to change directions. But may I remind you that ignoring an iceberg doesn't end well. It's likely time for you established businesses to make sone decisions and change direction in some form or fashion.
Whether your business is new or old, we all tend to develop a "sacred cow", perhaps a certain employee, a favorite method, or some process that you are just used to. In ministry at the church I am part of, we like to say the mission should always come first, and method second. But you are likely imagining someone in your world that is so stuck on a method that the mission doesn't seem to matter anymore.
Mission Over Method
What is your mission; personally and in business? Have you written it down and made it plain, so that anyone in your organization that reads it can run with it? How will your mission affect your decision making process? And here is a good question: do you even HAVE a decision making process?
If you don't get a process developed, you will likely stagnate over indecision, the same way you become immobile over indigestion. As the saying goes, you cannot steer a parked car, so it's time to start making some decisions and see some results. And if you don't like the results then you can make another decision to adjust the outcome. But in any case, doing nothing guarantees nothing.
For help in seeing what is next for your business, ministry, or even your personal life, I'd like to invite you to let me know about it, or find someone else you trust that will encourage you to move forward, to take a risk and see a reward. After all, the biggest risk is to arrive safely at the end having accomplished nothing.
-Judson Bartels
