Make Your “Who To Call When” List

I gave this advice recently to someone very close to me.

He was having case of the “What-ifs?”

Getting a bit overwhelmed by all the things that will, could, might happen down the road on a venture he was working on.

When starting something new, it's easy to get overwhelmed by what you don't know. And easier to get overwhelmed by not knowing what you don't know.

This creates a negative feedback loop like a microphone and an amplifier, creating a screeching noise in our brains.

My advice: Create a “Who To Call When” List

Get a piece of paper…

Write down all the areas you feel uncertain about, where you might need help or advice in both now — and in the future once things are in motion.

Next to each area, write down a person you could contact when you really need an answer, help or insight.If you know them personally now, that's great. If not, that's ok too.

Simply write down their name if you know they're an expert or their title if you know you'll need someone to fill that role.

Maybe it's a friend who will take your call at any hour.

Maybe it's an acquaintance you could touch base and ask for a piece of advice or direction.

Maybe you can hire them for their advice or partner with them on something.

This is simply designed to remind you that you're not alone and that when you need help you can probably get it IF you are clear where to go and whom to turn to.

There's a famous entrepreneurial quote that says “Leap and the net will appear.”

Do this exercise.

Then take that leap off the cliff.With this, you just built your net.

It works.

Your net works

Your networks

P.S. The person I gave this advice to thanked me for the reminder before we both turned away from the mirror and went back to work.