From entrepreneurial reflection to action

Surely more than once in your life, you have been left thinking and thinking, while delaying the moment to decide and take action. I have many friends who like to talk about entrepreneurship, and for years I have been sharing very interesting conversations and reflections on start-ups, opportunities...

But after many years, some of them still have not set up any business, because they have not taken action. I call them "saloom entrepreneurs", they enjoy thinking over a good Gin and Tonic but they don't want to take action, they enjoy thinking.

Reflection is very important, before embarking on a life decision, but, sometimes what happens is that we live in a static way in reflection, because we don't know where we are going, or because we are afraid to decide; we do not want to take the risk and responsibility.

To the extent that we are able to giving direction to our lives will make it less difficult for us to take action. We all function by habits that determine our behaviour and our results. 

When we know where we are and where we are going, it is easier to create strategies that will lead us towards our goals, and here the accompaniment of a mentor is of great help.

The secret of coaching and mentoring is to get people to reflect and take action: a person wants to make a change and does not know how to do it, to achieve this it is essential to take these two steps, reflection and then action, in order to generate real changes in the person.

• Ex:

I am offered a new job... first I reflect on the impact on me..., and after a good analysis I will have an easier time taking action....

Reflection alone does not lead to the decision.

• Ex:

A person wants to stop smoking, he knows it and even if his life is in danger, he can't stop...needs accompaniment to overcome this major obstacle.

We are immobilised by a lack of self-confidence, and not being clear about where we want to go!

If we had not started walking, swimming, cycling when we were children, we might not have learned all these skills today. What we fear at first, then with the habit of repetition, becomes an unconscious learning that does not have to be thought about before it is done. Don't wait for the perfect moment to take action, because it doesn't exist. Along the way you will be filled with knowledge and experiences, which will help you to develop your self-confidence.

To move from reflection to action is essential:

• Having a exit strategy it will give you more clarity in deciding what you want achieve in life.

It is important because otherwise you will end up where you don't want to be.

• Planning the route is also very important, because if we do not put direction to our steps, any road will be good for not knowing where to go and getting lost along the way.
• The secret of moving forward is to take action. This always requires decisions and action.

Our precious gift, our vital energy, cannot evaporate along the way. We must put focus on our top priority in life, organising all activities in relation to it.

If we are not committed to our goals, they will be fantasies without action.

How to move from business idea to action to be taken?

The lean startup, which has been so successful in creating many companies, teaches us precisely this: to move from reflection to action quickly, because reflection alone is not enough to create your company.

Reflection is necessary but not sufficient.

WE HAVE TO OVERCOME THE BRAKES AND OBSTACLES THAT ARE PUT IN OUR WAY:

• Personal" and "social" brakes: 

• • I don't have time.
  • I have no money.
  • I have no ideas.
  • Are you sure it's not risky?
  • Isn't it safer to have a payroll?

• Corporate brakes: 

• • We have always done it this way.
  • Failures are punished.
  • Resistance to change on the part of the promoter team.
  • Lack of incentives.
  • Lack of process... and ideas get lost.
  • Innovation is not part of everyday life.

These are clear examples of fears (see TIP)insecurities and even excuses to undertake that make you stay in the reflection phase without taking action. 

Now that you are clearer about the two necessary steps, reflection-action, reflect:

• Identify situations in your life where you did good thinking and did not take action: What was the obstacle that blocked you?