I was a toastmaster. I spent many evenings over the years working on my public speaking. My first couple of years was spent getting over the fear of standing up in public and giving a speech or presentation. I eventually got through this fear when I realized that almost everybody wants you to succeed. Why? Because no one wants to sit through a bad presentation. The Toastmasters group I was involved in helped me to succeed. Through their constant encouragement, feedback, and support, I became a better speaker. And my success also became their success because they got to listen to speeches that got better each time.
So how do I succeed with my new situation? Well the first thing was to jump in with both feet. After all, when you are standing at the edge of the pool, you are going to get wet, whether you step in one foot at a time or with both feet. The difference is that when you jump in with both feet, you will need to learn how to swim sooner and faster.
So I was in the pool with both feet. Learning to swim meant figuring out a plan. That’s what I need to do right now, sit down and figure out a plan. You know, where am I going, what do I need to do to get there, that sort of thing. Then, I will need to evaluate my resources and figure out how I am going to apply them to make this work. There we go, that’s what I need to do right now – or so I thought.
Then all of a sudden I hear this sound. Oh yes, of course. It’s time for lunch and a nap. Not for me but for my 18month old son. Although some food and a nap seemed like a good idea for papa as well. Success here came easily, I cooked the lunch, gave it to my son, he ate what he wanted, threw the rest on the floor, and the dog enjoyed lunch to. Then off to bed for a nap. And there it was, my first success at running my studio from home.
Turns out, coming up with a plan was not actually the first step. The first step is actually setting priorities.