Paralysis of Analysis

I have been a budget analyst for the last 4 years and therefore I can easily over analyze any situation. Plan, analyze, execute. That's the way it should work and if it fails; you revamp and restrategize but still follow the same three actions. Plan, analyze, execute. The problem is that my level of analysis often cripples implementation. My level of perfectionism doesn't allow me to always follow through. I've come to learn that perfectionism is a side effect of something larger...the fear of failure. I know the fear of failure is something that many people struggle with and it's nothing new. However, yesterday I took a leap of faith that has released me from the grip of fear.

As a child my dad used to always say, "nothing beats a failure but a try!" Back then I would take this message with a grain a salt. There wasn't much that I didn't do well and I wasn't putting myself out there in ways that I could really apply this thought process. Here we are 15+ years later and it's on repeat like a broken record in my head. "Nothing beats failure but a try!" I was hesitant to launch my Kickstarter campaign. The fear of failure was overpowering (even more so because of this pandemic). Somewhere along the way I developed this toxic belief that if there's a chance of being unsuccessful it is not worth MY time. I have never learned how to appropriately manage risks. Now at 33, I can see that my dad was trying to teach me just that. I wish this is something that I grasped earlier on but I believe it is all coming together at the right moment.

I started reading, Rich Dad Poor Dad, literally a few days ago. As I read the lessons from Robert Kiyosaki I immediately began to question my thought processes and learned behavior. The book starts with addressing how fear directs peoples' decisions not their passion. As the book continues the topic of risk management arises. It was time for self-reflection. I took a look at my current situation: I have a project that I started 2 years ago and due to lack of financial resources and expertise I have let it sit. I would look at the original prototype made from a legal size piece of paper and then the prototype that I hand-sewn and would see money that I have left sitting in the atmosphere. How could I let a product that I was so passionate about just sit? I had spent hours learning how to sew on a machine, spent money on fabric, and pitched the idea to others with overwhelming feedback and still couldn't get myself out of my own way.

In addition to my level of fear I was also taught to be self-sufficient. I will do it myself! I am not one to ask for help so this campaign goes against my core. Raising $35k in 30 days is not a slight task. Not to mention, I have yet to open myself to this level of vulnerability and exposure. However, I knew that getting The Femmy to mass production was not a DIY project (which I LOVE by the way). I am hopeful that I will reach my goal and if not... look at the lessons I've learned along the way!