Let me preface this by saying: this blog post is not meant to discourage you. Everyone who knows me, knows I love a dreamer. I believe everyone should have a dream and chase after them with reckless abandon. For me, this is the essence of a great life – dreaming big and chasing after those dreams. The problem with dreaming big is that we eventually have to turn those dreams into reality. And this is where it breaks down for most people.
I’ve seen it (and experienced it) many times before. We leave the brainstorming session, the dream conversations and plans. Our adrenaline is pumping, ideas are flowing, we are ready to take on the world and live out our dreams. We finally get home, sit down at our desk, couch or dining room table and start thinking “how in the heck am I going to do this??” Dreaming big is GREAT. But putting together a plan and implementing the dream is what often trips us up. The key to having a big dream is to be willing to start small.
Taking on too much, too fast is the quickest way to run into paralysis when time for implementation. The dream is sooo big, we don’t know where to start. We let the plans sit on our desk, or worse – in our heads. The dreams never turn into action Below are three ways that we can effectively dream big, specifically when looking at marketing and branding plans:
1.) Just Start. I have seen it over and over again: we overthink our start. We want everything to be just perfect when we begin. The colors, the logo, the t
agline, the website, the business plan. I’m here to tell you, and even rock your world a bit: Don’t worry about perfection. It has been said: “Perfection is the enemy of good.” Some things will need to be “near” perfect or good enough, and that’s okay. Discover which things are fine to be “good enough” and keep it moving. You can correct and fix as you grow and learn. And … you WILL grow and learn so much after your first year or two or three in business. Things will inevitably change; you will learn more about yourtarget audience, your brand, your packaging, etc. Therefore, indeed strive for excellence, but don’t sweat the small stuff. Just get started.
2.) Start small. Yes, dream BIG. I mean it. Go for it and go for whatever God has called you to do. But start small. Start with one piece of your big, audacious dream. Your goal should always be progress. Get moving and stay moving. The bigness and magnificence of your dream will come in time. Momentum is powerful, therefore starting small is also about creating momentum and great energy as you pursue your dream. It will allow you to work out any kinks in your plan and quickly course correct and rework the plan or vision. It’s much easier to scrap or rework a small plan than a big one. So don’t feel embarrassed or inadequate about starting small. Small plans quickly turn into big dreams.
3.) Write it Down. You may have it in your head, but it also needs to be on paper. Not just buried in a random notebook in the back of your car, but always before you, within reach. There is immense power in writing down your goals and dreams. It is one more step toward making it a reality and watching it cometo life. Write it down with as much detail as possible. And read it often. This is another version of practicing affirmations. You are watching, writing and speaking it into life. Keep the dream before you.
All these steps are essential whenworking on your marketing and branding plans. Marketing and branding can be overwhelming. There are so many aspects, strategies and tactics involved. However, the goal is to just get started. Put the dream in motion.
Do you have a big dream? Have you gotten started? What’s stopping you? The moment of perfect timing or finances, or whatever it is, may never come. Start now. Start small. Get going!
If you need assistance with developing the first steps with your marketing or branding plans, contact me for Get Started session.