SubscribeWe strive to do this all the time. What they don’t tell us is that with every action that we take, we not only create some possibilities, we also shut off a few. Whether we know it, don’t know it, mean it, don’t mean it … it doesn’t matter. This just happens.
Consider the “Entrepreneurs action map”, below:
* The ‘Start’ marks the point where the entrepreneur starts to act.
* The ‘Final Perceived Goal’ is the Goal he has in mind at the time he starts.
* The ‘Actual Final Goal’ is the Goal he ends up where he declares it to be so.
* The full red dots along the path represent the ‘Decision Points’ where he must make a choice (amongst many paths) on which path to take next.
* The ‘Solid lines’ denote the path he actually travels on.
* The ‘Dotted lines’ denote the path he chooses not to take.
So, what is the meaning of all this? Here’s what it means to me:
1. Every time you make a choice (on any of the decision points), you end up creating the possibilities along the chosen path and you shut down the possibilities on the paths you did not choose (hence the dotted lines… depicting fading possibilities).
2. Once you choose a certain path, the other paths emanating from the decision point (the ones you did not choose to take) will cease to exist for you. That is to say, they will be in your ‘blind spots’.
3. You will not know for sure where you’ll end up, when you begin the journey and more likely than not, it will be somewhere other than your perceived goal. So, no point in fretting or spending too much time worrying about it and its prudent to not get stuck in the analysis for too long.
4. Here’s a big one: The farthest point to the ‘Final Perceived Goal’ is the point where you start from. There is a possibility of not making it on any of those paths but it is guarantee of not making it if you don’t start!
5. Ready for the Biggest one? – On every path, you touch other people and their lives, in many ways… and that creates endless possibilities for you, some of which may not be apparent immediately. Brings the old adage to mind… “It’s all about the journey, not the destination”.
Here’s a little example that you might find useful to think with: Lets say you always wanted to write a book but did not start because you needed the entire journey mapped out beforehand. Now, consider that you started it, anyway. Can you imagine the possibilities you would be creating for yourself along the way?
Now apply this to anything that you always wanted to start and ask yourself – Are you waiting for the entire journey to be mapped out or will you start, even if it’s not?