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by Charles Burke
Recently, I was interviewing Paul
Hartunian, the master of free publicity, a man
who successfully juggles several very different
careers. Paul commented:
People
don't act because a lot of things are in front
of them.
I've gone to lots of seminars where there was
so much information you were on information
overload. The vast majority of people then froze;
they wound up doing nothing.
All this information and all these experts were
right there, willing to help the seminar participants
do what they want to do, accomplish what they
want to accomplish.
They may have been given lots of great products
to sell; they were given SO MANY options in that
one day that they froze.
Paul's point was that when we're confronted
by too many possibilities, we can freeze up.
Trying to decide which of 15 or 20 options to
pursue can be frustrating, especially if all of
them appear to be good choices.
My granddaddy used to say, "A dog that chases
two rabbits won't catch either one." He was
trying to get me to realize how important it is
to just pick one thing and do it.
Let's take an example that we often see here
on the Internet. How many eBooks have you bought
within the last six months? Of that number, how
many of them tell you how to make money online?
If a book is any good, you'll be impressed; you'll
say, "Yeah, I can do this." But then,
after a few days, you'll read another really great
sales letter, you'll feel that you really, really
need the knowledge in this new offering. Then
you'll buy yet another eBook, and you'll again
be impressed: "Yeah, I can REALLY do THIS.'
This cycle is being repeated over and over every
day all around the Internet.
This may have happened to you. I've done it.
Lots of people have.
So there you sit with perhaps dozens of books,
all good, dozens or even hundreds of affiliate
offerings, some excellent, and page after page
of website ideas, all interesting.
In fact, you've got so many options that you
may not know what to do first.
My granddaddy ran one of the biggest plumbing
shops in his town, and when he'd spy one of his
men dithering over what to do next, he'd simply
say, "Son, you can't do everything first."
And neither can you or I. If all
your options are good, then it doesn't really
matter which one you choose first. Throw a dart
if you have to, but move. Make a decision. Get
yourself into motion.
For many people, getting into motion
means you'll be stepping into unfamiliar territory,
doing things you've never done before. So what?
At least it's interesting and exciting. But never
terrifying.
If you think starting your very
first business is terrifying, you need to think
again.
Wrestling a grizzly bear is terrifying.
Falling from an airplane without a parachute is
terrifying.
But starting a business? Nah...
that's not scary; it's just unfamiliar.
And right there we have the main
reason most people lock up when they face a long
list of options. It's unfamiliar ground, so they
think they don't know how to choose. (They do,
but they THINK they don't.)
Here's a strategy for taking the
terror out of decision-making. Take that long
list of options. Say there are 15 items on it,
and you've never done any of them before.
Once you've examined all the items
on the list, do this: Decide if all the items
are REALLY about equal. If there are any that
clearly don't measure up, cross those off. You'll
still be left with lots of choices.
Let's say you're left with only
10 items on you list.
Take out a new sheet of paper.
Write item number one on it, the
first item from your original list.
Okay, that's it. That's your new
list of options - just one item.
We've already agreed that all the
choices are more or less equal.
So now you've got your action agenda.
One item. No more indecision.
Now just go do it.
And those other 9 items? They'll
be there waiting when you get done with the first
task.
See how easy decision-making can
be?
Charles Burke helps
people revive their zombie businesses.
If you’ve read all the marketing
and promo books, but your business
is still shambling along, more dead
than alive, you’ll want to study
the free cover report at http://www.charlesburke.com
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Many thanks.
Cheers from sunny Japan,
Charles Burke
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