I have been away from my business for quite some time now. In trying to get back to the business, I have learned a simple but profound lesson which I would like to share with you today.

I drifted away from the business due to bereavement, medical problems and a few other issues. But that is not where the lesson lies. While I have been away, I have constantly felt like I am falling further behind. It is when I kept struggling to get myself to start back that I realised this simple lesson. 

Every time that I have felt the urge to get back to business, I have been overwhelmed by my negative thoughts and emotions. Thoughts such as:

• Nobody will want to hear from me
• I have forgotten to create helpful content
• I won’t be able to contribute anything of value

These thoughts may have some truth in them. And they may be completely false. I don’t know. But this kind of thinking can be crippling. The mind quickly hits a downward spiral until it gets to the worst case scenario. But when I was allowing this thinking to overcome me, I was ignoring some fundamental truths:

• The worst case scenario is not knowing where you stand
• Once you know where you stand you can attempt corrective action
• The only way to find out where you stand is to take action

Action is the great reality check. When you take action, life will give you feedback. Something works or it doesn’t. Also, you will often find that once you have taken action, others will step in and offer you feedback too. Of course, you must consider the quality of the feedback but good feedback will help you to identify the changes which need to be made. 

So, here I am, taking one small action. I will get the feedback and let it show me where I stand. From there, I will find my way forwards,

Is there any area of your life where you need to take action and get feedback?