How do successful people become successful? They do things. Instead of sitting around waiting for the Permission Fairy to whack them upside the head with her magic wand, they just go out and do what they need to do.
I get a lot of questions from clients, students and others about how to do various things. Sometimes these questions are about the technical details of how to do something, but often the question is about how they go about getting permission to publish a book, become a consultant, create a course, etc. They want to know what course they need to complete, what group they need to join or who needs to give them a title before they can do what they want to do. While that is necessary if you want to be a doctor, in the world of entrepreneurs you do not need a license to succeed.
When someone is waiting for permission it is often because they do not have confidence in their ability to do something. The way to get that confidence is not to look to someone else. The way to get confidence in your ability to do something is to do it.
In the corporate world there are people who hand out titles and job duties. As an entrepreneur, you are the one who decides what your title is (if any) and what responsibilities you have. Want to be a published author? Write a book and get it published. Want to be a professional speaker? Get to the front of the room and start talking. Want to be a consultant? Start lining up clients you can help. It’s up to you.
There are people and educational resources to help with the things you do not know how to do or that you do not want to do on your own. However, there is no one who can give you permission. No one but you.
Want to become a professional speaker? The first time I gave a talk I was nervous and not all that good at it. But I gave myself permission to be a speaker. I decided I could get better with practice, so I practiced. I spoke to many local community groups. I taught a class for a local university. I participated in professional associations where I led meetings. Not only did I become a better speaker, I KNEW I was a better speaker because I had the experience to back it up. And how did I get that experience? That’s right, boys and girls, I just did it.
If you are waiting for someone to give you permission to be successful you may be in for a long wait. Stop waiting for others to tell you that you can do something and just do it.
Thank you Cathy for such wonderful tips. Easy to understand and do. Keep on sending these instructions to us. They are truly worthwhile to read AND do.
This is a brilliant article Cathy; it’s just what I needed. I’ve been around for quite some time and call myself a entrepreneur although I realise that’s not the case because I’m always looking for permission. You’ve just ‘given’ it to me today. Thanks so much.
Valerie, I am glad this is useful to you. I am a big believer in taking action and not waiting around for permission or anything else!
Go get ’em!
Hi Cathy,
I recently quit my full time job and started my own website development business. One of the greatest challenges I didn’t realize I would have to deal with is motivating myself to work. But now I realize it’s also about waiting for permissions, whether it’s from myself or others, to get things done. Thanks for this article. It made me sit back and think about how to move forward! Cheers.