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It’s a simple fact that doing nothing has robbed more people of their dreams and goals than any mistakes have.
But sometimes when we’re faced with a decision of whether to take action or not, that’s what we do. We do nothing.
We sit, we wait, we watch and in the meantime, we let opportunity pass us by.
More often than not the reason for this inertia is fear. We’re afraid of making the wrong decision. We’re frightened of failure or even the consequences of success.
We worry what other people might think about us, that the timing’s not right, or that the result of our action might not be perfect.
But here’s the thing … indecisiveness is costly. Overthinking is paralysing.
The desire or belief that perfectionism is paramount is just an excuse. Done is better than perfect, and nothing is ever perfect anyway. Everything can be improved.
So when you find yourself stuck in the pattern of inertia, paralysed by indecisiveness and overthinking, what should you do?
The point of least resistance
When we succumb to fear and the indecision kicks in, we have a tendency to overcomplicate things.
We ponder all the what ifs and wander the mental corridors of negative outcomes. We make it hard, complex, overwhelming.
But that’s not the avenue we have to take. Instead, the solution involves moving towards simplicity.
We need to find the point of least resistance, let go of the push for perfection and the fear of failure, and find the fastest, easiest way to make something happen.
A quick example
As an example, I was talking to an agent recently about sending anniversary cards to home owners.
An obstacle was discussed.
“I need to get professionally printed anniversary cards from the printer,” the agent said.
Right about there the push for perfection was standing firmly in the way of actually getting something done.
While it would be great from a branding perspective to send out professionally printed anniversary cards, substituting them with a handwritten “just a note” card would be just as impactful, and quite likely more memorable.
A further point was then raised regarding sending the anniversary cards to a patch of 500 homes.
“I’ve already missed those properties that had anniversaries from January to April,” the agent noted.
Really? How about a letter, card, or SMS along the lines of:
“This year you have celebrated eight years of owning your property. In that time, property values have more than doubled.
“With the possibility of a slowdown in the market late in the year, right now could be the best time to realise the increased equity in your home and maximise your profit. Scan the QR code etc…”
Whether it was fear it wouldn’t work, fear of what people would think or the excuse of perfectionism, those objections could have been costly.
They ran the risk of the agent missing an opportunity to connect with people in their area.
My advice? Stop the excuses, feel the fear, and do it anyway.
Find the point of least resistance, and make it happen.
Don’t overcomplicate it. Just do it.
Yes, you might get it wrong sometimes, but doing nothing is far more costly.
Manos Findikakis is the CEO of Agents'Agency.
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