"JFDI" and other words of wisdom

I don’t know about you, but it seems that every adviser in Australia is winning awards because of their awesomeness.

If they're not winning awards, they're improving efficiency 10-fold and delighting clients and staff alike. When reading about these wonderful achievements, I often feel that I’m not doing enough. It’s not through lack of trying, but after many years of trial and error, I realised that perfectionism often holds me back.

At the very least, it slows me down.

To get out of this rut and build momentum, I stick to a series of principles and guidelines that apply equally to the business, client relationships and personal projects. Here are some of the most important ones: 

Test and learn

Whatever it is I'm working on doesn't actually have to be "perfect" before rolling out. It’s okay to start a new system or process that might be nearly complete but not quite there.

An example could be a workflow process or using threads in Xplan. In the past, my team has set up workflows only to find that a step was missed or the workflow was overly complicated. But it was only by testing the system that we were able to identify the issue and learn from it.

Because of this "test and learn" approach, we’re so much further down the track than if we'd waited until it was 100% perfect.

The 30-70 rule

I love the "30/70" rule because it stops me from procrastinating and keeps projects and improvements moving along.

The idea is that most decisions can be made with 30-70% of the information needed. If less than 30% of the information is available, you'll need to get more. But if you have 70% of the information, that’s usually enough to make a decision. Steady progress and little wins are great for confidence and building momentum.

JFDI – or, "just f***ing do it"

Like anyone, I suffer from inertia at times. And when there is a lot at stake, I can feel like a deer in the headlights. A little motto that helps me get going is JFDI. It’s a little purple, sure, but it does the trick and helps me take that first, all-important step. 

It’s great to share our wins and successes – but it’s equally important to appreciate that none of us are perfect or infallible. Taking baby steps and backing myself is how I’ve made important long-lasting changes.

It works for me personally and also for my clients and my business. So why don't you give it a go?