How Jake Stopped Planning Too Much and Started Growing His Business
Jake had a dream.
He wanted to start a business where he helped people organize their homes.
He made a big plan. He bought notebooks, watched videos, read blog posts, and even made a vision board.
Every day, Jake would sit at his desk, writing ideas and thinking about what his business could become.
Weeks went by. Then months. Jake had beautiful notebooks full of ideas.
But he had no customers. No money. And no real business.
One day, Jake looked at his desk and sighed.
“Am I wasting time planning instead of doing?” he asked himself.
Jake’s friend, Maria, ran a small bakery from her home.
She always seemed busy and happy. Jake called her and told her how he felt.
Maria smiled and said, “Jake, I’ve been there. Let me tell you what helped me.”
And she gave him three questions to ask himself.
1. Am I too scared to start, so I keep planning instead?
Maria said, “Sometimes, we plan too much because we’re afraid to fail.
Planning feels safe. Doing feels scary. But the only way to grow is to take action.”
Jake thought about this.
He had so many ideas, logos, website designs, flyers.
But he never talked to one person who needed help organizing.
What Jake did next:
He made a simple rule: One action per day.
It didn’t have to be big.
One day, he posted a message on Facebook offering to help someone clean their garage for free.
The next day, he made a list of five people to call.
The day after that, he wrote a short message and texted it to them.
In one week, Jake had his first real customer.
Try this:
If you think fear is making you plan instead of act, promise to do one small action each day.
It could be writing an email, posting online, or talking to a possible customer.
Small steps lead to big changes.
2. Am I trying to make everything perfect before I start?
Maria laughed and said, “I remember when I wanted perfect cupcake boxes before selling one cupcake!
But my customers didn’t care about the box. They cared about how good the cupcake tasted.”
Jake nodded. He remembered how much time he had spent trying to make his website just right, even though no one had ever visited it.
What Jake did next:
He told himself, “Done is better than perfect.”
He used a free website builder and made a simple page in one day.
He posted photos of his organizing work and added a phone number.
Guess what? A woman called him the next day after seeing it.
Try this:
Pick one thing you’ve been trying to perfect and finish it in one hour.
Hit publish, send the message, or make the call.
Your work doesn’t have to be perfect. It has to help someone.
3. Am I spending more time learning than doing?
Maria asked Jake, “How many courses have you taken?”
Jake laughed. “I’ve taken five online courses, read three books, and saved over 100 videos!”
Maria nodded. “Learning is good. But learning without doing is like reading about swimming and never getting in the pool.”
What Jake did next:
He made a list of things he already knew how to do.
Then he picked one skill to focus on for the next 30 days.
“I know how to organize a kitchen really well,” he said.
So, he told people on Facebook that he was offering kitchen organizing services for $50.
By the end of the month, he had helped four people, and they told their friends!
Try this:
Instead of taking another course, take action on what you already know.
Pick one thing you’re good at. Offer that service or product today.
You can always learn more later.
Moving Forward: Jake’s New Rule
After learning from Maria and taking action, Jake made a new rule for himself.
“I can only plan if I’ve taken one real action first.”
If he wanted to write in his notebook, he had to talk to a customer first.
If he wanted to watch a video, he had to send a message first.
This simple rule changed everything.
Within three months, Jake had ten happy customers, a small income, and lots of confidence.
His business was finally moving forward, and not just on paper, but in real life.
What You Can Do Today
If you feel like Jake, stuck in planning and not doing, remember these steps:
- Face the fear. Take one small action today.
- Let go of perfect. Finish something and share it with the world.
- Use what you already know. Start now with the skills you have.
Your dream doesn’t grow by thinking. It grows by doing.
A Final Word from Jake
“Planning isn’t bad,” Jake said. “But it’s only helpful when it leads to action.
I still plan, but now I also do.
And doing is what made me a real business owner.”
So next time you find yourself making another list or watching another video, stop and ask:
“What action can I take right now?”
That’s the moment your business begins to grow.