There are four words, four simple steps that you need to master if you want to produce extraordinary results:

  1. Focus
  2. Fail
  3. Learn
  4. Repeat

So simple, yet so difficult.

To be able to focus, you need to be able to ignore the distractions, both external and internal. The voice in your head will try to convince you that your idea is not worth the effort, and that you should do something else, or nothing at all.

Too many people quit before they even start.

The best way to see if your idea is any good is to actually do it. Start small. You don’t have to quit your job or spend your savings. Do it on the side. A couple of hours a week could be all you need.

The work you need to do (or at least a part of it) could be uncomfortable. Maybe you don’t know where to start. Maybe you’re a programmer who’s confident in his technical abilities, but you feel uncomfortable reaching out to people and letting them know about your product. Or maybe you’re a service provider who’s looking for her first client, etc. You get the point.

The fear is real. If you give up at this point, it will be because of the fear, not the lack of your skills. You see, the skills you can learn, but if you give in to the fear, you will convince yourself that your work isn’t worth your effort and give up. The voice in your head will become louder and louder until you start believing it.

The alternative is to ignore the fear and keep going.

The failures that the fear tries to protect you from are lessons, opportunities to learn what works and what doesn’t. Don’t pass up on those opportunities. They will challenge you, intellectually and emotionally, making you stronger, more fearless, and what’s most important capable of transforming your idea into a project that makes a difference.