I wrote an Instagram post yesterday about how incredible it is to live in a time when education is literately at our fingertips. I can’t count the number of things I’ve learned by just using the resources I had in front of me. E-courses, webinars and reading blog posts have taught me some of the most important things. And don’t even get me started on the printable workbooks!

I must admit though, I do feel that I’ve taken things a little too far. I was recently listening to the audiobook of She Means Business by Carrie Green and she said something that hit me right in the face. While launching her passion, The Female Entrepreneur Association she found herself putting things off because she was still in research mode. She spent so much time trying to learn as much as possible, that it prevented her from getting started!

GUILTY.

When I decide I want to learn something new, I obsess over it. I want to know everything there is to know before I act on it. This obsession is not good for my business – or my sanity for that matter. It actually makes me more anxious.

Launching my business was a great example of how I let the need for information prevent me from getting started. I waited TWO YEARS to officially launch my business because I felt like a fraud. I felt that no one would take me seriously if I didn’t know everything there was to know. Or that I’d suggest someone take the wrong direction in their business and cause it to fail.

Needless to say when I finally got the gumption to launch, nothing happened. No one told me that I was a giant failure. Client’s didn’t hate me because I didn’t know something and most importantly, no one ever expected me to. The only person that had that expectation was me. – Shocker.

I wish I could tell you that I’m reformed. That this issue is in my past, but that’d be a lie and I feel like you’d never believe it anyway. While I’ve gotten much better,( I mean, my business did launch after all… )I have two small confessions.

About a month ago I signed up for Jenna Kutcher’s Pinterest course because I haven’t really focused on Pinterest as a tool for my business. I use Pinterest ALL THE TIME as a search engine so it seemed like a great opportunity. My schedule has been a little crazy, so that course is still sitting on my desk, untouched… and I haven’t been on Pinterest since the day I signed up for the course.

I’m also way too embarrassed to even tell you, the number of draft blog posts there are in my queue. Each one of them still there because I want to research one more thing for them before I hit post.

I’m a work-in-progress, OKAY!?

At the end of the day, I think that making progress is more important than perfection. I’ve made a quick list of strategies I’ve implemented.

• Set a deadline.
  • When in school, you’re given time to learn the material and then a due date for an assignment that relates. This theory should apply the same.
• Start with the basics.
  • Fill in the typical who, what, where, when, why, how for whatever topic you’re investigating. When you can fill in those blanks, you’re ready for the next step.
• Talk about what’ve you’ve discovered so far.
  • Grab a cup of coffee with a girlfriend, and chat about what you’ve discovered so far!  If they’re knowledgeable on the topic, ask questions. If their not, “teach” them what you’ve learned so far! This should help you feel as confident as possible on the topic!
• Continue the process until you’re a pro!

I’ve seen success using this process and I think you can too! I’m curious though, what’s something you’ve spent too much time “learning” and not enough time “doing”? Connect with me using #amandamariebiz and let’s chat!

Chat soon,