Nothing Can Come Before Anything Else

Paul Hartunian, who deftly navigates numerous distinct professions, was recently the subject of an interview. And Paul added:

That there are so many options available is a major factor in why people don't take any action at all, as stated in the blockquote above.

I've been to a bunch of seminars where there was so much information that it was overwhelming. At that point, many people became paralyzed and did nothing.

The professionals and knowledge the seminar attendees needed to get their work done were all in one place.

Even if they were provided a wide variety of high-quality items to sell, the sheer number of opportunities presented to them on that single day likely left them paralyzed.

Paul was making the point that when we are faced with too many options, we can get paralyzed.

Having to narrow down 15 or 20 possible courses of action, all of which appear to be viable solutions, may be very overwhelming.

My grandfather always said, "A hound that chases two rabbits won't catch either one." For a split second, he'd be silent, and then he'd say, "And he'll go hungry tonight." He was emphasizing the need for me to commit to a single course of action.

Let's look at a common online illustration. How many electronic books have you purchased in the last six months?How many of those tell you how to sell your business or earn money via the Internet?

In the case of a well-written book, you will come away feeling empowered and confident that you, too, can achieve the goals it sets forth. A few days later, you receive another excellent sales letter and realize that you really, really do need the information presented in this new product. After that, you'll buy another eBook and think, "Yeah, this time I can really do it."

This loop is repeated countless times per day across the internet

You could have experienced this. As for me, I've already completed it. Quite a few people can attest to this.

Consequently, you now have potentially dozens of books, all of which are fantastic; dozens or perhaps hundreds of affiliate offerings, some of which are excellent; and page after page of website ideas, all of which are interesting.

In fact, you have so many choices that it can be overwhelming to decide where to start.

When my grandfather saw one of his employees hesitating about what to do next, he would simply say, "Son, you can't do everything first." My grandfather managed one of the largest plumbing shops in his area.

No, neither you nor I can.If you have several good alternatives, it doesn't matter which one you pick first. If you must, throw a dart, but get going. Do something. Proceed with the activity.

Moving forward often involves venturing into uncharted territory and trying out new experiences. However, this is of little consequence. At least the ride is entertaining and interesting! However, it was never in any way frightening.

You'd be wrong to assume that going into business for the first time is easy.

Dealing with a grizzly bear is a terrifying prospect.The thought of freefalling from a plane without a parachute is horrifying.

But what about setting up shop? It's not terrifying; it's just different

And therein lies the rub: most individuals tend to shut down when confronted with a wide variety of choices. They are unsure of what to do because they have never been in this situation before. To paraphrase: (They do, but they don't realize it.)

To alleviate the stress associated with making choices, consider the following method: Consider all these alternatives. Let's say there are 15 items, and you've never done a single one of them before.

Then, once you've checked everything off the list, make a judgment on whether or not everything is truly comparable. If any of the candidates are obviously unsuitable, remove them from consideration. There will still be a plethora of options available to you.

Assume you've narrowed your list down to a manageable 10 things.
Get a fresh sheet of paper.
Mark it with the first item from your list.
That's great, I'm glad we got that out of the way.You now have one choice from that limited menu.
As was previously established, we consider all of the options to be equivalent.
You have a plan of attack now. Just just once. Now, you will no longer waver.
Let's get this done already.
What about the other nine things? When you've completed the initial assignment, they'll be waiting for you.
Do you now see how simple it is to make a choice?