You’ve heard the expression, “The  hard part is not knowing.” This applies to so many things – running, work, relationships. And, how many times, when you’re feeling overwhelmed, do you keep saying, “I just don’t know”?

Most of the time, you really do “know” – you either 1)don’t want to deal with it; 2)want someone else to deal with it; 3)may not have all the knowledge you think you should have; or 4)don’t want to admit that you’re afraid. So, saying, “I don’t know” postpones the decision and gives us an excuse not to act.

We all do this, and I, for one, probably do it more than I should when it comes to starting new work projects. By definition, if it’s a “new” project or task, we don’t know all there is about how to do it. And that’s ok. Most of us learn best by doing. We may make some mistakes along the way, but we learn what doesn’t work. But if you’re like most people, you want to know how to do it (and do it well) right now. It doesn’t always work that way.

The key is to do something – anything. Just get started.  I’m good at telling other people, “Leap and the net will appear” or “Ready, Fire, Aim.” As I’m sure you’re aware, it’s always easier to tell someone else what or how to do something. And, I practice what I preach – in most of the things that I do. However, there are some things that I just get stuck on (generally work things) and have a hard time making that “leap.”

So, I have a new goal: I’m going change my vocabulary. I’m going to replace “I don’t know” with statements like, “I am figuring that out,” “I am trying it this way…” “I’ll get back to you when I have more information.” I’m going to “leap” more, and I’m going to “Fire” then “Aim.” If I miss the mark, I’ll adjust the sight and fire again…until I get it right.

I’ll let you know how it goes.