A condition known as “analysis paralysis” is one of the greatest impediments to progress. Never heard of it? Don’t feel bad. Many people experience it without ever knowing that it’s holding them back.
The meaning of the term, according to Wikipedia, “refers to over-analyzing (or over-thinking) a situation, so that a decision or action is never taken, in effect paralyzing the outcome.” Basically, what it means is there’s always another course, or another teleconference, or another seminar that you just have to attend in order to put it all together.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with gaining new knowledge. And with few exceptions, the courses, conferences, and seminars out there are all first-rate and provide value. But at some point you have to ask yourself ‘when is enough, enough?’
It’s like the old story about “The Fox and the Cat” in Aesop’s Fables: The fox has “hundreds of ways of escaping” while the cat has “only one.” When they heard the hounds approaching, the cat scampered up a tree while “the Fox in his confusion was caught up by the hounds”. The fable ends with the moral, “Better one safe way than a hundred on which you cannot reckon.”
The point is don’t let the desire or need to learn another discipline of your trade stop you from going out—TODAY—to secure work. Because all it really is—when you come right down to it—is fear that’s stopping you. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of looking a prospect squarely in the eyes and telling him or her, “Yes, I can do that!” or “No, I won’t drop my price!”
This post is brought to you by the good folks at Dale Carnegie Training of Central & Southern New Jersey. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @CarnegieJersey.
Photo credit: freedigitalphoto.net/Stuart Miles