Self-doubt be gone
I was reading this book last week to give some ideas about marketing the new consulting business. In it the author states that what marketing activities you choose are not as important as the choosing itself. According to Hayden, a marketing program is effective when the same things are done over and over again. So it doesn’t matter what you choose, just choose something and do it often. (BTW — Get Clients Now is a great book and really worth a read if you’re in the consulting business.)
I have to agree but it is extremely tough to stay focused when you’re starting a new business. The self-doubt is constantly lurking in the background. Am I doing the right thing today? What should I be doing instead? Did we choose the right marketing approach? Should we change our focus? And on and on…
I know that it’s totally normal to feel this way. It’s exactly how I felt at the beginning of my last business but I really forgot what it felt like. My solution is to shut out all other distraction, trust in myself and stay focused.
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You totally hit it on the head with the first one, “Am I doing the right thing today?” The worry and doubt associated with that phrase is enough to make me feel ill.
In order to get myself off those thoughts, I usually remind myself of a line I heard from Jason Fried at a conference a few years back. He stressed the importance of constantly making decisions. Decide on something, chart a course, say “done” and just start doing it.
“Keep making decisions, even if they’re the wrong ones.” It’s a bold notion, a kind of laissez-faire approach to failure, and I always try to keep in my head.