If you jump – will the net appear?

Have you heard the old saying, “Just jump and the net will appear”?

What it means to me is that if you want to make a change and are hesitant in doing so, just take the risk because there will be something, someone there to help you—even if you make mistakes.

But, the more important question is—should you jump?

The metaphor for this is, let’s say you are at the edge of a cliff (example – deciding to spend money for a new marketing strategy).  If you stay at the edge of the cliff, nothing is going to happen. If you back away from the cliff, nothing is going to happen either.

So, if you jump, will the “net” appear?  Or metaphorically, what will you risk if you jump?

If you were truly on a real cliff and decided to jump (and a net did not appear), you risk death.  In business, the proverbial “risk” would be “if you jump, what’s the worst thing that can happen to you?”

You won’t die—but you could get hurt.

When I made the decision to start my own mortgage company, my husband, my mother, family and friends tried to talk me out of it.  So, I asked myself, what’s the worst thing that could happen to me?   Hey, if I didn’t make it, I could go back and work for another company again.  Sure, I’d feel bad that I didn’t make it.  But after a while, who cares? I jumped!

While the jumping part is the first step (no pun intended), it’s the net that you have in place that is going to “save” you.

Asking yourself these questions may help:

Do I have the money to spend on the marketing (coaching, database system, you name it) and still put food on the table?

Can I afford to lose the money if things don’t work out like I planned?   (Assuming you have a plan—that’s part of the safety net.)

If I change companies and it doesn’t work out, what other company can I work for?

What if I call on the best real estate agent in town and they turn me down?

Sure, you may hit some rocks on the way down.  Maybe a bruised ego.  But you will survive – and you will usually be better off for the experience.

But, jump only if you think you’ll be strong enough to survive.  When you have the proper safety nets in place. 

And ask yourself, what’s the worst that could happen if you jump?