Just when you think you've taken flight...

Starting a start-up is not easy. You're first inspired by an idea that will fill a need. You talk about it with someone you trust. Together, you generate more ideas and begin to put shape around the concept. You bring in a few others that add to the mix, question the concept, offer alternative thoughts, and help you get even more focused. You start writing a plan, and then it happens...

Just when you start to take flight, you plant your face right into the middle of something that stops the whole thing.

With us, I think it's indecision. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just very frustrating. We thought we had the big chunks of the plan figured out. Then we attended a forum of others from all across the nation who are doing some of the work we'll be doing. The Forum was put on by Voices for America's Children, and it was made up of about sixty other organizations. We leaned a lot, and are applying to be a Voices member here in Montana.

What we learned will be very useful for ChildWise in making an even greater impact, but it stopped us in our planning. Not a bad thing because we want to do this right, but we also want to get started doing something! Planning is good, but action is better! Seth Godin talks a lot about "shipping" in a post called Quieting the Lizard Brain.  It's all about resistance. Seth says "The resistance is the voice in the back of our head telling us to back off, be careful, go slow, compromise."

We have hit the hand of resistance.

In starting a start-up, I think the one thing that stops a lot of people is their desire to make it perfect from the day they open the doors. Now, we're not actually shipping anything, but Seth's point is not necessarily about shipping as much as it is about starting.

So here we are, starting over (to some extent), having written a ten page plan already,. I'm okay in doing this, but only if we (1) put a time-line on when we're finished planning; (2) commit to making the time to get it done by setting milestone and meeting dates; and, (3) go public with those dates... creating accountability.

It has been said, "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Really?