Strategic Online Marketing Tip: Analysis Paralysis

Some say the paralysis of analysis – others say analysis paralysis. Frankly, it doesn’t matter which – it’s all the same.

In either case it means that you are so completely paralyzed with fear that your time is spent analyzing a particular strategy or tactic and you never take MASSIVE ACTION.

And, while analysis is an important business strategy, you can NOT be successful if you don’t move beyond analysis.  Success requires action.

When I worked at a Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids Michigan my boss (who was, hands down, THE BEST BOSS I had ever worked for at a job – before or since) had an expression printed and tacked above his desk.  He lived by this and expected his employees to as well – “Proceed until apprehended”

What he instilled in all of the people who worked for him, and who were willing to listen, was that it was important to proceed with your plan. Have a plan – don’t wait on others to give it to you.  It was important to think through the plan and to evaluate the potential outcome but those who did nothing would be rewarded with nothing.

You can’t make mistakes unless you take action.  You can’t be successful unless you take action. If you take action you WILL make mistakes!

Look closely at your actions daily – are you checking email constantly?  Writing articles that aren’t published online?  Creating business plans or ‘lists of things to do’ without ever taking action on any of it?  Are you busy with nothing to show for it?

The paralysis of analysis overtakes most of us at one point or another. While there isn’t enough space or time to correct this issue today – the first step you HAVE to take is to recognize that there is an issue.

Because, after all, you can’t correct a mistake if you don’t know it’s happened.