Just Go, or, Why Being Impatient is the Most Profitable Decision Your Company Could Ever Make

February 13, 2009 4:38 PM

Impatience is underrated.

Now, before you flip out, let me explain.

Patience – as a virtue – is a beautiful thing. Maybe the beautifulest.

And I’m sure I could easily bore you with a bunch of predictable quotes from The Bible, The Koran and The Gita about how patience is love and patience is the fruit of the spirit, blah blah blah.

But I won’t.

Instead, let’s talk about the value of being im-patient.

Especially in business. ESPECIALLY in entrepreneurial business.

See, after seven years of self-employment (five of which have actually been profitable!) I’ve learned that I’m an incredibly impatient person.

And I don’t mean, like, I snap at supermarket cashiers who take ten minutes to count my change.

Or that I say “Hurry up” when my girlfriend takes forever to get ready.

Or that I stand in line at the airport with my hands on my hips, pointing at my watch so the single mother with six kids in front of me knows to move the line along.

No. When it comes to situations like that, I like to think my mental, physical and spiritual resources allow me to endure. And I’ve practiced enough meditation, taken enough yoga, worked enough retail – and worn enough nametags – to learn how to project impossible patience, even in the face of tremendous annoyance.

On other hand, there IS some validity to experiencing healthy instances of impatience…

For example, check out the following definitions of the word impatient:

1. Restless expectation.
2. Eagerly desirous.
3. Changeable, hot and passionate.
4. Not accepting delay or opposition.
4. Intolerant of interruptions.
5. Raring to go.
6. Eager for change.
7. Eager for something expected.
8. Dislike of anything that causes delay.
9. A constant desire for change and excitement.

Huh. Doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

I wonder what would happen to YOUR business if you were a little more impatient?

In my experience as an author, speaker, coach and entrepreneur, every project, every endeavor, every THING I’ve ever gotten myself into since 2002, has been approached with an attitude of impatience.

As such, my entrepreneurial philosophy is pretty simple:

Just Go.

Any questions on that?

Good.

“Just Go.” That’s it. That’s everything. That’s the secret to your success as an entrepreneur. Just Go.

And I mean that in the most non-motivational-speaker-you-can-do-it-fluff kind of way.

THAT’S THE COOL PART: There is no metaphor. There are no seven steps. It’s not some “system.”

Just Go. I couldn’t make it any simpler if I tried.

Today I’d like to share a collection of ideas, reflections and lessons learned from practicing this philosophy in my own business and life.

In order to mold your melon into the right condition for receiving those ideas; let’s begin by assessing your current level of impatience. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Are you willing to look bad on the road to immortality?
2. Are you willing to plunge forward plan-less?
3. Have you ever asked yourself why you procrastinate?
4. How impatient can you afford to be?
5. How much money is being (too) patient costing you?
6. How quickly do you take action on your new idea?
7. What are you currently procrastinating on?
8. What is the need for perfection preventing you from doing, being and having?
9. What one step could you take now to start moving forward to your ideal future?
10. Why are you waiting to be paid to do something you love?

With that in mind, here’s my philosophy:

Just Go, or, Why Being Impatient is the Most Profitable Decision Your Company Could Ever Make

Don’t ask how it’s been done before. Don’t ask how everyone else is doing it. Don’t go to Google first, read a bunch of articles and then formulate your decision based on those influences. Instead, decide how YOU want to do it. And then do it.