Oftentimes in life, timing is everything. In both your travel business and your personal life, discerning when to start, when to pause, and when to stop could save you a lot of emotional wear and tear.
One common cause of failure is taking the right action at the wrong time. As Kenny Rogers liked to sing,
You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
Or in this case, you’ve got to know when to start ‘em, know when to pause ‘em, and know when to stop. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to stay motivated and keep your business on track.
The Magic of Starting
If you are like most people, a task you like wins precedence over one you loathe pretty close to one hundred percent of the time. We know we should not procrastinate so we determine to put an end to procrastination... tomorrow.
The next time you are nagged by an onerous task that you know simply must be done, remind yourself of this irrefutable truth—you can’t finish if you don’t start.
Surprisingly, the truly difficult bit with most tasks is not finishing but starting. It is entirely possible you might start a project and never finish (it happens). On the other hand, if you never start, that theoretical possibility becomes an absolute certainty.
You know you need a more robust agent profile. You know you need to learn how to schedule social posts. And you know you need to ask your clients for more referrals. Pick one, or any of a dozen others (of course, not all at once) and just start. The good news is that for each one of these examples, you don’t have to figure out where to start, as there are educational tools for each that will guide you from the first step onward.
If you can overcome initial inertia, at least some of the time a more helpful principle of physics will appear almost magically: momentum. If resolving to accomplish an entire task seems too daunting, try mustering just enough will to begin. Who knows where that might lead?
The Wisdom of Pausing
There is an old expression that says, “When in doubt, don’t.“ Sage advice indeed. However, consider adding a four word caveat: “…or at least pause.“
Have you ever thought about doing something only to have a subtle doubt peak out from under the duvet of your mind? Most of us have. This most often occurs when our minds are occupied with a hundred competing priorities and a decision suddenly presents itself.
When that occurs, the worst of all possible reactions is to shrug your shoulders and mutter to yourself in a sotto voce “Whatever” and make a snap decision.
Make a commitment going forward to take a deep breath and think about what the right decision is. You may well be surprised to discover how often just a few moments of reflection will surface unsuspected consequences, better alternatives, or lurking landmines.
The Challenge of Stopping
Is there such a thing as the right time to stop? We hear a lot about the importance of dogged determination and never giving up on your dreams. But there are times when it can be wise to take a step back.
Here are times you should stop altogether.
Choosing the right time to stop may be the most difficult of all three of these actions. We get so much of our ego or self-esteem invested in a course of action, that turning around takes a healthy dose of humility and self-awareness. It is good to remember that, when you decide on your next action, one way or another, you are not admitting failure, you are recognizing reality.