Follow the Leader

Last week, I spent five days at Harrisville Designs in NH, taking a class with nine other students to learn how to weave on a loom. Weaving is something I have wanted to try for a couple of decades, and I was thrilled when this opportunity lined up with my schedule.

Even though it seems like weaving would be pretty simple, the loom's setup or “dressing” is not. My first attempt took well over seven hours.

At first, I tried to take notes on the handouts our instructor Megan had given us. Then, as she demonstrated the techniques on a loom, I had my iPhone camera out to capture each step. Early on the second day of our training, still working on preparing the loom, I realized that there was no way I would be able to do this alone, with or without my notes and recordings.

And that was a surprising relief because, at that moment, I remembered that I had signed up for beginning weaving, not mastering weaving. I took a deep breath, and I started to relax and enjoy the process instead of being intimidated by it. Huge shift.

My next step was to simply surrender to my teacher. I stopped trying to memorize and capture every thought and did what I was told, one step at a time. I carried out each step without knowing or understanding what was coming next.

Being the control freak that I am, this was not a natural approach to take. But it paid off because the learning came from the doing, not the thinking about or understanding the doing, but just the action itself.

It was then that I began the process of mastery, which was unexpected and very exciting.

Many budding entrepreneurs dwell in the thinking phase, trying to understand every twist and turn before taking a step. And that leads to thinking like this: “I’m stuck, I can’t do this,” or, “Look at so and so. She’s crushing it. I’ll never get there.”

Here’s what’s really interesting about this: every time I talk to someone in this circumstance, with very little prompting, they can recite exactly what they need to do to move their business to the next level. They know what to do, and then they begin the chorus of “I’m stuck” again.

If that’s you, ask yourself: what’s the benefit of staying “stuck?” I guarantee that there’s a payoff somewhere, most likely unspoken. It might be “Without taking a risk, I’ll stay safe,” or “I won’t have to stretch myself or get uncomfortable,” or “I can’t handle what I imagine people will think if I am successful.” Once uncovered, you can decide if what you’re thinking is true or worth listening to.

There’s a cure for this predicament, and it’s simple. Find someone who has created the success that you want and let them lead you. Listen to them tell you the next best step for you and do it—one thing at a time. The understanding and confidence are in the action you take, not before.

I’m sure you won’t feel ready. We never do. But that’s ok. You’ve got this.

If you’re not already a member of our Facebook Group, The Virtual Assistant Connection, and would like to join, here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com