Sometimes You Have to Do First and Ask Questions Later

All the preparation in the world is useless if you don’t apply it

I was thinking about what to post for this week’s cartoon and I started to look within…like a young martial artist on a search for “the master.”
If you’re not familiar with such things, you can see what I’m talking about on YouTube here.  That clip is from an 80s movie called “The Last Dragon” that I’ve seen so many times it’s actually embarrassing, but there is a lesson to be learned here which I’ll get to in a moment.

I’ve had multiple friends of mine tell me they really want to go back to business school but haven’t done anything yet because they are either afraid of taking the GMAT or still preparing to take the GMAT (read: procrastinating).  Preparing is crucial to excelling in whatever you do but should not be relied on as a crutch when the real hurdle you’re facing is fear.

This week’s cartoon was born from the experience I’ve had learning how to swim as an adult…with teachers that are accustomed to teaching young children and parents that are shocked when they see me get in the pool for my lesson right after my 4 year old daughter. Initially I thought I would look stupid (which still hasn’t been ruled out) but I was finally not just willing but driven to achieve this goal. After all my hesitation about the money or the looks I would get, I’ve had people come up to me saying they’re impressed that I would take this on as an adult.

One of my favorite yet hashtags I’ve seen on twitter is #GoDo tweeted by @LouImbriano. There comes a time when rubber MUST meet road, so make sure it’s on your terms.