Stop Researching, Start Doing

That sounds simple. It took me months to actually live it.

Where I got stuck

When I decided to start my own firm, I filed the paperwork for my LLC pretty quickly. Then I stalled. I didn't really do anything with the business. I was just obsessively researching, taking notes, reading, preparing. We're talking months of this.

Looking back, I think I was using the research as a form of procrastination because I was afraid to actually go and start. In retrospect, I wish I'd started my business sooner. I was ready. I just didn't act like it.

Research is not the same as readiness

Here's what I've come to believe: no amount of research removes the fact that you'll make mistakes along the way. No one is perfect, and no one gets it all figured out in advance, no matter how much they've prepared.

No amount of research removes the fact that you'll make mistakes along the way.

After a certain point, you just have to go for it and actually do it. Not recklessly, but deliberately. You do the research that's genuinely useful, and then you stop using it as a substitute for action.

What actually taught me the job

Research can tell you what to expect. It can't teach you the job.

There's no substitute for actually going out and getting clients, interacting with them, persuading them to sign with you, and then collecting their documents and doing their tax returns. You can describe all of that to someone, but there's no real substitute for the actual experience of doing it.

This past tax season, I took on contracting work for other CPA firms that have a lot more clients than I do. It wasn't the same as working with my own clients, and it's not as good, but it was a great learning experience. My own client list is still small, honestly single digits, but I'm building it, and every bit of hands-on work has taught me more than another month of research ever could.

It's not just a business habit

This tendency to over research isn't limited to my business. It's a theme in my life. Before I do almost anything, I have to catch myself and ask whether I'm actually preparing, or just avoiding the discomfort of starting.

Some signs that research has turned into avoidance:

• You keep researching the same decision without ever narrowing it down.
• You feel like you need one more piece of information before you start, and there's always one more.
• You've been "preparing" for weeks or months with nothing to show for it.
• The research feels more comfortable than the thing it's supposed to prepare you for.

If any of that sounds familiar, it might be worth asking what you're actually afraid of. Usually it's not a lack of information. It's the risk of doing it imperfectly in front of people.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Waiting for a level of certainty that doesn't exist: Client work, in particular, rewards people who can adapt in real time, not people who arrived with a perfect plan.
• Treating mistakes as proof you didn't prepare enough: Mistakes happen regardless of how much you researched. That's not a research problem, it's just part of doing the work.
• Confusing activity with progress: Taking notes and reading articles feels productive, but it isn't the same as moving your business forward.
• Assuming the discomfort will go away before you start: In my experience, it doesn't. You start anyway.