Action trumps thinking (or at least over-thinking)

Oh, Forbes, I love you right now. This article supports the earlier post about a room-for-improvement-SOMETHING is better than a perfect-NOTHING.   Nothing like affirmation.

Look at that smart goldfish!  Leaving that crowded smaller fishbowl for a large empty one.
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In the post, 10 reasons why business action can trump thinking, Zwilling notes, (condensing into five):

1. Regardless of testing, until you really put it out there, you won't foresee unexpected challenges
2. Taking action will help you determine if you truly like it
3. As you act, you learn. You find others to come with you and you become faster, cheaper, better
4. If you act you won't spend your life wondering WHAT IF?!?!  And, as a bonus, you are a more interesting person if you act vs. wondering what if?  When you act, you learn from others!
5. Thinking without taking action feels like zero cost, but might have huge opportunity cost.   While you are busy thinking, someone else could be acting on your idea and making millions. (Okay, so Zwilling didn't say millions, I'm taking creative license to exaggerate the point, you get the idea).

A parting piece of advice Zwilling offers: "If there is no way of knowing what the future will be like, act. It is the quickest way to learn. Take one small step toward your goal when it is far away or difficult to accomplish. Then evaluate where you are. A journey of a thousand miles really does begin with a single step."

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As The Simple Dollar puts it, take baby steps, don't feel like you have to know everything all at once. I love the perspective Trent brings as he observes his son:

"It takes him a lot of time to accomplish many things you or I would consider simple. He often takes a whole minute to crawl up a single flight of stairs. Holding his hand and walking somewhere means I’m going to be taking three or four times longer, just because he’s taking little steps. Even given the slowness, there’s still a very valuable thing with those little steps. That little one year old boy has learned that if you take your steps too fast and too big, you fall right on your face.

Here’s the thing: when we’re trying out a new behavior that isn’t familiar to us, we’re all like that little boy. The movements we need to make to reach our destination aren’t ones that we’re familiar with."

Just like that boy, we see a big shiny thing off in the distance and we can’t wait to get there."

I'll speak to what I know (what a brilliant concept, I know!).  This blog, for instance.  This is my 2nd blog.  And you know what? It really IS all about baby steps.  Learning how to build and develop a site...it's a gradual process, and I learn more every day. But I enjoy every moment and realize it's something new and the best way is to do it is to keep moving, to keep taking those small steps forward and not be afraid to fall down, because it's in the mistakes and the bumps and bruises that we learn the greatest and most memorable lessons.