- Joined
- Apr 17, 2022
- Messages
- 1,826
Rep Bank
$5,894
$5,894
User Power: 605%
Target audience:
This post is primarily aimed at starting entrepreneurs, that are still in the "don't know what business to start" phase.
Judging by the large amount of posts which express this dilemma, it's safe to assume that a large amount of the new fastlaners are in this category, or deal with this problem to some extent.
Although this post is primarily aimed at beginners, others might find it interesting as well.
I'm currently in the process of developing a better daily schedule and process for improving my work output.
I've stumbled across this quote:
"Quality is a probabilistic function of quantity."
Every single day that you spend wondering what is the optimal path to creating your ideal business, is robbing you of the life experience you need in order to be able to see the path and create a proper plan. It's a catch-22.
You don't know what you don't know.
Stop trying to find the answers by thinking about them, because you cannot.
The human mind can only think through analogy.
You're stuck with the ideas you have now, until you will add more data into the system.
Asking for guidance on the forum and reading high quality books is great, and I would actually recommend this as the first step in your journey. A step that will have to be repeated along the way.
Why? Because what you need is a general framework and a mindset which is conducive to being successful in life and business. And this forum, as well as MJ's books, are one of the very rare sources of said high-quality information.
So even though the theory is very important, and should always be learned and relearned - by beginners and veterans alike, nothing is going to be able to replace the hands-on real life experience that you get from actually doing stuff.
You can read 100 books on how to play baseball, you can write a PhD thesis on how to throw a ball, but until you will get on the playing field and actually practice the game, you will never know how to do it.
And does not apply only to athletics, but to all human endeavors - including business.
This is the basic reality of how our nervous system is functioning. The only knowledge that actually sticks in the long term, is the one that we are proving ourselves experimentally, which means, by doing.
(Similar idea discussed in the thread about wisdom)
"What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand." - Confucius 550 BCE (a long time ago)
By no means am I encouraging you to take stupid risks, engage in reckless behavior, or follow the idiots that tell you that "you NEED to fail first in order to succeed later", because that is demonstrably false, and it's a very stupid way to go about living life.
What I am saying however, is that as long as you are financially responsible, and are intensely focused on the task at hand, there is no such thing as "failure".
Every. Single. One. of your projects and businesses will bring you a wealth of experience that cannot be gathered in any other way. Even if the thing that you're working on doesn't end up being profitable, you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain:
All the success stories that I've ever heard of, including MJ's, begin with a series of previous attempts at starting a business.
Once you start to understand that all those previous attempts were not "failed attempts", but rather the foundation and the building blocks for the success that followed, the ridiculous "fear of failure" idea will completely disappear from you mind, because now you see the full picture of how exponential success begins.
So stop asking yourself inopportune questions, pick a direction, any direction.
And just (F*cking) start.
And you do not stop until you either:
1. Get the results that you seek
2. Reach a dead end: Pause, adjust the plan, go back, START AGAIN
Skills will be acquired.
Discipline will be built.
Competence will improve.
Lessons will be learned.
The horizons will broaden.
And eventually...
Success will happen.
This post is primarily aimed at starting entrepreneurs, that are still in the "don't know what business to start" phase.
Judging by the large amount of posts which express this dilemma, it's safe to assume that a large amount of the new fastlaners are in this category, or deal with this problem to some extent.
Although this post is primarily aimed at beginners, others might find it interesting as well.
I'm currently in the process of developing a better daily schedule and process for improving my work output.
I've stumbled across this quote:
"Quality is a probabilistic function of quantity."
Every single day that you spend wondering what is the optimal path to creating your ideal business, is robbing you of the life experience you need in order to be able to see the path and create a proper plan. It's a catch-22.
You don't know what you don't know.
Stop trying to find the answers by thinking about them, because you cannot.
The human mind can only think through analogy.
You're stuck with the ideas you have now, until you will add more data into the system.
Asking for guidance on the forum and reading high quality books is great, and I would actually recommend this as the first step in your journey. A step that will have to be repeated along the way.
Why? Because what you need is a general framework and a mindset which is conducive to being successful in life and business. And this forum, as well as MJ's books, are one of the very rare sources of said high-quality information.
So even though the theory is very important, and should always be learned and relearned - by beginners and veterans alike, nothing is going to be able to replace the hands-on real life experience that you get from actually doing stuff.
You can read 100 books on how to play baseball, you can write a PhD thesis on how to throw a ball, but until you will get on the playing field and actually practice the game, you will never know how to do it.
And does not apply only to athletics, but to all human endeavors - including business.
This is the basic reality of how our nervous system is functioning. The only knowledge that actually sticks in the long term, is the one that we are proving ourselves experimentally, which means, by doing.
(Similar idea discussed in the thread about wisdom)
"What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I do, I understand." - Confucius 550 BCE (a long time ago)
By no means am I encouraging you to take stupid risks, engage in reckless behavior, or follow the idiots that tell you that "you NEED to fail first in order to succeed later", because that is demonstrably false, and it's a very stupid way to go about living life.
What I am saying however, is that as long as you are financially responsible, and are intensely focused on the task at hand, there is no such thing as "failure".
Every. Single. One. of your projects and businesses will bring you a wealth of experience that cannot be gathered in any other way. Even if the thing that you're working on doesn't end up being profitable, you have nothing to lose, but everything to gain:
- skills
- life experience
- domain-specific knowledge
- improved discipline, confidence, ability to execute
- and most importantly: you see for yourself that nothing bad happens when you "fail"
All the success stories that I've ever heard of, including MJ's, begin with a series of previous attempts at starting a business.
Once you start to understand that all those previous attempts were not "failed attempts", but rather the foundation and the building blocks for the success that followed, the ridiculous "fear of failure" idea will completely disappear from you mind, because now you see the full picture of how exponential success begins.
So stop asking yourself inopportune questions, pick a direction, any direction.
And just (F*cking) start.
And you do not stop until you either:
1. Get the results that you seek
2. Reach a dead end: Pause, adjust the plan, go back, START AGAIN
Skills will be acquired.
Discipline will be built.
Competence will improve.
Lessons will be learned.
The horizons will broaden.
And eventually...
Success will happen.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
