A thought that has really helped me succeed is, “Fail fast, course correct and move on.” One of my clients was going to work out at home with workout DVDs, and the long and short of it is that she wasn’t doing it. That was the plan, but the reality was she wasn’t doing it. Instead of saying that was OK and finding something she really wanted to do, she was afraid to move on.
Fail fast, course correct. Course correct means asking yourself, “What will I do? What am I willing to do?” This client really liked being in the gym atmosphere, being around other people, taking classes. She knew that. So I told her I was excited for her. She already had a plan, and next time she just needed to take action. Just do it.
So many times we stay locked into that mindset. This was the plan. This is what I have to do. This is the diet book I’m following. This is the workout regimen I’ve got prescribed. This can keep you from seeing through what you planned. If you fail fast, course correct and move on, then you actually have a chance at success.
I do that with my business; I’ve done that with my personal well-being. Tell yourself, “I’m not going to do this. Here’s a better plan, and I’m going to move on.” And then you move on. You don’t beat yourself up for not having done what you originally thought you were going to do.
So fail fast, course correct and move on, and that way you can actually make progress. We only don’t make progress when we stay in that perpetual loop. This should work. This should work. Why is it not working? Why is it not working? Well, if it’s not working, it’s not working. Do something else, OK?
I hope this helps if, right now, you’re realizing something you signed up for, something you’re doing, isn’t working. It’s OK to course correct. It’s OK to move on.