The main factor that determines how much an accountancy firm progresses, is in their ability to MAKE DECISIONS. Making decisions is what moves you closer towards your goals.
But most accountancy firms become STUCK through fear of making the WRONG decision and so they end up making NO decision.
But what we often forget is that WE CAN ALWAYS DECIDE AGAIN.
When a pilot sets off on the runway, the first decision is to takeoff.
The second decision is THEN which direction to go in.
Then depending on the direction and speed of the wind, other planes in the sky and the natural curvature of the earth, they will make hundreds of smaller decisions to correct their course to make sure they’re on track towards their destination.
And the amount of fuel used to get that plane off the ground is disproportionate, compared to what’s needed for the rest of the journey.
As much as 25% of the aircraft’s fuel can be burnt up on takeoff.
Getting started is always the hardest part.
Now if the average accountancy firm had to get that plane off the ground, they would struggle for several reasons.
- They probably don’t have a clear destination where they’re all heading and so they don’t know WHICH direction to take or WHY they should takeoff on the first place.
- If they’re a multi-partner firm, you could have 4 pilots, all of whom have a slightly different agenda i.e. one’s happy with where they are, one want to travel as far as they can as fast as they can, one hates flying and one’s planning on jumping out pretty soon anyway and so doesn’t really care.
- They’re waiting for the conditions to be perfect before they start (because an accountant, by their nature, wants everything to be perfect.)
- They’re looking for what could go wrong rather than what could go right (because an accountant, by their nature, always look for what’s wrong.)
But the irony of all of this, is that you only have to make ONE decision…
… and that’s to takeoff.
You don’t even need to know the exact direction or destination at that point.
Planes takeoff into a head wind… they fly INTO the force that is going against them, because it’s precisely that resistance that will get them off the ground… and THEN they choose the direction.
All they need to know is that where they are right now isn’t right, what the problem is and then to fly into it.
Why we’re flying in our firm
The methodology we use in our accountancy firm, is to just get started and fix it as we go.
We just press the launch button and start attacking the problem.
Will the first decision be the right decision? Probably not. But we can always decide again.
We’re prepared to be embarrassed. We’re prepared to make mistakes.
We know that you don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to become great.
And so long as we know where true north is, so long as we have clear goals and so long as our intent is correct, we know we will eventually get to where we’re heading.
But it all starts with that first decision to JUST GET STARTED.
If you need more inspiration to takeoff right now, watch this video.
It explains why version 1 is better than version 0 and why you need to start… NOW!!!
The first month of this year is almost over.
What decisions have you made to get you closer towards your goals or are you still sat on the runway?
What decisions could you make RIGHT NOW, that would move you closer towards your goals.
We’re not looking for PERFECTION… we’re just looking for PROGRESS.
It’s time to take-off.
BOOM.
