The Blade

I stumbled upon a book the other day, The 1,000 Most Important Questions to Ask Yourself by Alyss Thomas, a psychotherapist. Is it just me, or is that a lot of questions?  I’m sure pondering answers to questions can be good therapy, because contemplation helps us understand ourselves. But the process can also overwhelm us. This also happens all the time to aspiring entrepreneurs, who are constantly asking themselves questions. Here are a few:

Is my product idea a good one? Where do I begin? How will I get it built? Should I quit my job and pursue my idea full-time? How much will people pay for it? Will it make money? Should I seek a partner, or go it alone? If I seek a partner, then who would make a good one? How much money will it take to get started? Can I even afford it? How will I go about marketing and selling it? Should I seek a patent? Should I write a business plan? How much research should I conduct before starting?

Questions like these, and 985 others cause conundrums on our minds, can paralyze us, stopping us from taking action. How could anyone possibly answer all these questions? We can’t. During the past year, I’ve interviewed dozens of successful entrepreneurs, and one trait they each share is that they try not to allow 1,000 questions to slow down their action. Instead of pondering questions, they take action—and see where the journey takes them. A New York Times article “Do You Suffer From Decision Fatigue?” says suffering over too many decisions saps all your energy and even has long-term health consequences. So instead trying to answer all these questions, save your energy to get real work done. I say, go chase your idea. You’ll figure it out.

Furthermore, I’d prefer to ponder more serious questions such as: What should I have for lunch today? Will my beloved N.C. State Wolfpack win their basketball game tonight? What would my wife love this year as a Christmas gift? Actually, I think I know, but it’s a little pricey. Hmmmmm.