You Can’t Shortcut Experience, So Buckle Down and Bring It On

I know, I know. Everyone wants to hear that there’s an easier way. That you can absorb by reading or course-taking and be that much further ahead of the game.

To some extent, that’s true. You can check off a few boxes and make it easier to get started. But, until you have rolled up your sleeves and really dug in to an experience, you’re really no further ahead.

I used to be the worst procrastinator. It would take me forever to start something. But when I really began to look at why (I’m typically a high performer), I realized it was because I was afraid to start. I didn’t know where to begin and I worried about doing it right.

Today, I can’t wait to jump in. I might dig a bit into books or articles beforehand just to get my bearings but I can’t wait to get in there and start screwing up, cause that’s the best way to know where to shift to or what’s still missing.

You won’t really learn those things from a book.

Every entrepreneur I have worked with who had rushed their experience always ended up saying to me later, “This stuff just takes time. You can’t fast track the knowing.”

See the difference between regurgitating instructions and being able to really *know*? The difference is in those who have lived their experience rather than just read about them.

So… your marketing activities? Just keep going. Stay the course, keep going, no distractions. Check your results after you’ve given it time to percolate.

Your systems? Just keep using them. It gets easier as you get more experience, and then they make more sense.

Selling? Keep going. Flip your rejections and your “no”s to interesting data points that you log in your journal to help you make the next one better.

This is why the saying “we look back at ourselves and laugh” exists. Because we couldn’t see how much we were learning at the time and how much of our perspective was missing.

So take a breath. Trust yourself. Let things happen as they should. Stick to your vision, be clear on your course to get there and don’t worry about how fast you think you’re progressing. It’s the time we steep that serves us best.

Tell me in the comments…

When has your experience served you better than formal instruction?