Heading West

If I was a traveler in New York in the 1800s trying to get to San Francisco, it might not be obvious the best path to take.  Would a route through Chicago be fastest?  St. Louis?  Indianapolis?  Hard to say.

But all of those places are much closer to San Francisco than New York is, and chances are good that I’ll get to SF faster by setting out immediately for any of those destinations, rather than spending time deliberating which route is most direct.

We face a similar situation with lots of decisions.  Some paths are more direct than others, and occasionally it makes a big difference whether or not you choose the very optimal path.  But there’s a cost to waiting, and oftentimes we’re better off to take action (head west) and adjust as we go, than wait until we have the whole thing planned out.

For example:

• Are you trying to reach the decision-maker at your client’s organization, but not sure who it is?  Start building relationships now, and keep going until you find the person you’re looking for.
• Not sure whether you need a plumber, handy-person, or HVAC specialist to handle that leak in your attic?  Start making phone calls.  You’ll quickly learn who can (and cannot) help you.
• Do you want to eat meals that are more nourishing, but feeling overwhelmed by all the health advice?   If you can focus on gradual improvement instead of hitting a certain weight or milestone, you may find it easier to experiment and explore without judgment.

If you find yourself hemming and hawing, give yourself permission to make progress.  Because most of the time, taking a step in the direction of your best guess will take take you closer to your destination than staying where you are.