Episode #351 – Want to Unlock Progress? Embrace the Obvious

Today we’re talking about unlocking progress by embracing the obvious. I want to give you a little bit of background on how I got the idea for this episode. A while back, I attended an event with entrepreneurs, particularly those with personal brands. These are individuals whose businesses are connected to themselves, whether they’re selling their expertise or sharing their life experiences as authors or speakers. They are deeply rooted in their personal brands.

I would categorize 90 to 95% of this room as hyper achievers. These are go-getters, passionate about getting their message out and seeking the next level of growth and success. As I looked across the room on day one of this meeting, I thought to myself, everyone here seems to be looking for the magic answer, the magic bullet that would catapult them forward.

I have been there more times than I can count, especially as an entrepreneur and business owner. I’ve found myself circling around in my thoughts, talking with my team, or endlessly Googling, searching for the magic thing that would get me unstuck. Everyone in the room seemed to be doing some version of that, asking questions like, “What am I missing? What’s the thing I need to do?”

What was shocking, and it shouldn’t have been, was how often the advice from the room was to just do the thing that was right in front of them, that they already knew they needed to do. They didn’t need a completely new idea; they needed discipline and accountability to the basics, the obvious things.

I was reminded of a time in one of my coaching groups where a longtime client decided to run a race. She had many questions about gear, shoes, watches, and schedules. I told her, and this has become an inside joke in our coaching community, that if you want to run a race, the first step is to go for a run. Put everything else aside, wear the shoes you already have, and just run. Once you start, you can add the bells and whistles that make it easier to track your progress or feel great while recovering.

For this episode, I want us to look at where in our lives we might be looking past the obvious and overcomplicating things. Paradoxically, instead of accelerating progress, this often slows us down. The search for the cool new thing, the fancier way of doing it, can cause friction instead of acceleration.

I’m not going to talk a lot today about how to decide what the core activity is. Instead, think about where in your life you might be feeling stuck. For business owners, it’s often not having enough leads or sales, or having too many leads and not enough systems in place for delivery. In your personal life, it might be home organization, health and wellness, or an important relationship. Take a quick inventory and ask yourself, where am I feeling friction? What is the most obvious thing you could do to unlock that area of your life? Then, ask yourself, why am I not doing it?

I’ll give you five reasons people avoid the obvious. First, we think it cannot be this obvious. It must not be the next action because it’s too simple. Second, we tell ourselves we’re not ready yet. We think we need more preparation before doing the main thing. Third, we actually don’t want to do the work because it might require sustained effort. Fourth, we get distracted by bright, shiny objects, new and exciting things that vie for our attention. Finally, we fear failure. Doing the obvious thing might prove once and for all whether it’s going to work, and that potential for failure is daunting.

To address these, consider starting with the obvious and taking imperfect action. Acknowledge that you can do things you don’t like if they lead to success. Stay focused and avoid distractions. And remember, it’s better to know definitively whether something works than to wonder indefinitely.

In all these cases, clarity about the key activity that would predictably lead to success is crucial. Sometimes you need a bit of perspective to help identify and maintain focus on the main thing. If you feel stuck and want to run something past me, you can DM me anytime on Instagram @CSkolnicki. Also, remember our Brilliant Balance Facebook group, a supportive community where you can share and get feedback.

My advice for you today is to pick the obvious thing, execute with excellence, and repeat. Give yourself the benefit of a little bit of tunnel vision to find your way forward.

That’s all for today, my friends. Till next time, let’s be brilliant.