How’s Your Initiative?

Let’s get started. See what I did there? –That’s initiative. Having initiative is to get the ball rolling, so to speak. I’m initiating a conversation.

Having initiative can be a little scary. It works alongside another character trait: courage. Do you find it hard to start a conversation with someone you don’t know? Can you see something that needs doing and just begin doing it without having to be told? Are you afraid to try something new?

A Lifetime of Initiatives

I have had to use a lot of initiative in my lifetime. I initiated the first conversation with my husband and asked him to dance –back in the day when people danced in bars. He said yes, and here we are 36 years later.

I also started my own home-based alterations business. That was fun because I love sewing. I met a lot of friendly people and provided a much-needed service. It was also a great way to add extra income. I did that for about 8 years and I started feeling burnt out. I never want to lose my love of sewing, so I stopped sewing for others and now just sew for fun, for myself and family.

And now I have started a blog and an online business. I love writing and have always wanted to write a novel. There are so many things about an online business that I don’t know how to do. But I’m learning, and that’s the genius of the internet. All the information is out there, online. You can read about and learn how to do anything you are interested in doing. I haven’t made the first dollar on it yet, and I don’t have a product. It takes time. I’m sure it will come.

I’m amazed at how many people are reading my blog. Some of you may laugh, but I think an average of 5 people daily is pretty awesome! There are people from Ireland and Great Britain, China, and Africa! I feel like a kid with pen pals!

Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

Benjamin Franklin

How to Initiate

People with initiative are usually self-starters. They think about what needs doing and they just do it. They are generally list makers because it helps to see things on paper. I like a sequence of steps to help get things done.

Initiative takes a little boldness, too. You can’t be afraid to do things. You have to step outside your comfort zone once in awhile. Don’t be afraid to fail. Failing had such a bad connotation when I was growing up. I associated “failing” with being a “failure”. That’s not true. In our world, there are so many options and opportunities. We no longer work 30 years in the same job. If you want to live life to the fullest, look around and find something you love to do. Take the initiative and create your own business. Find an area of interest where you are doing what you love and making a good living doing it. You have the ability to reach the whole world now through communication and technology.

Getting Started

So don’t be afraid, just begin. Do some research. Do the necessary work. Find someone who is doing what you would like to do and just reach out to them and ask them questions. Maybe you can work with them or just learn from them.

There is always a chance you may fail, but you will learn through the failures what not to do and then start again. Get the experience you need and keep going.

Just like any other character traits, you have to practice them. Schedule initiative in your planner/ calendar. Write it down. Practice it for 21 days. Be bold. Just start.

If you like my blog, please sign up and get it delivered to your email once a week. If you do, I’ll email you a worksheet that I created just for initiative. As always, I don’t advertise or send spam. –There’s already enough noise in the world.

God bless.–Barb