222: Good at Planning, Bad at Execution? How to Finally Start Doing What You Plan

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Good at Planning, Bad at Execution? How to Finally Start Doing What You Plan

Are you good at planning but terrible at execution? This episode is for entrepreneurs who create amazing plans but struggle to take action on them. Host Cindy Gordon, Reality Check Method coach for female entrepreneurs, reveals why your brain loves planning more than doing and shares the exact framework to break the planning trap.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why planning gives your brain the same reward as actually accomplishing goals (and why this keeps you stuck)
• How to reality check whether you're planning to make progress or planning to avoid action
• The minimum viable plan approach that gets you from idea to execution fast
• Why imperfect action always beats perfect inaction in business

Perfect for: Female entrepreneurs and small business owners who are always planning but never doing, especially those struggling with perfectionism and analysis paralysis.

Episode Highlights: "A mediocre plan that gets executed will always beat a perfect plan that stays on paper." "You can't plan your way out of uncertainty. You can only act your way through it." "Your business doesn't exist in your planning documents. It exists in the real world."

Stop planning your way to perfection and start executing your way to success. Get Cindy's Reality Check Method at ExclusivelyCindy.com and follow @exclusivelycindy for daily entrepreneurial reality checks.

💡 Don't forget to subscribe for more quick productivity tips for overwhelmed business owners and female entrepreneurs!

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Connect with Cindy Gordon - Reality Check Method Coach for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs:

• Website: ExclusivelyCindy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exclusivelycindy/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cindygordon

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Here's a scenario.
I bet you'll recognize.
You have an amazing businessidea.
You research the market.
You create detailedspreadsheets, you outline your
launch strategy, you designperfect brand colors and plan
every single step.
Six months later, you're stillplanning and your competitor
just launched the same idea thatyou've been perfecting.

(00:23):
Hi, I'm Cindy Gordon, aself-made entrepreneur, busy mom
and reality check method coachfor female entrepreneurs.
I've built and sold multipledigital businesses, and I have
watched countless brilliantwomen get stuck in what I call
the planning trap, where you'reso good at planning that you
never actually execute.

(00:45):
And today I am sharing themindset shift that helped me
stop over planning.
Start taking action on whatactually matters.
If you want more tips andtricks, just like this one, join
my weekly newsletter where over1400 other entrepreneurs use it
to stay motivated and on track.

(01:05):
So get on my email list.
The link is in the show notes.
If you're good at planning, butterrible at execution, you are
definitely not alone.
This is one of the most commonchallenges that my clients face.
They're incredible at researchstrategy and creating beautiful
plans, but when it comes time toactually do the work, they

(01:25):
freeze.
And here's what's making this sofrustrating for entrepreneurs.
Planning feels productive.
You're working on your business,you're making decisions, you're
moving forward.
Except you're really not.
You're actually moving incircles.
The planning becomes asophisticated form of
procrastination that tricks youinto thinking that you're being

(01:47):
productive when you're actuallyavoiding the real work.
The truth is, you are alwaysplanning and never doing your
business.
Just stay stuck in your head ininstead of becoming a reality
and while you're perfecting yourplan, someone else.
Started with a good enough planand they are already serving
your ideal customers.

(02:08):
So here's a fascinating factabout how our brains work.
Planning gives us the samedopamine hit as actually
accomplishing something.
Your brain literally rewards youfor making plans the same way it
rewards you for taking action.
So you get that satisfaction ofprogress without the risk of
failure that becomes the realexecution.

(02:30):
Plus, when you are in planningmode, you have complete control.
You make everything perfect onpaper, but the execution.
That's the messy part.
That's where you discover thatyour plan wasn't perfect.
That's where customers reactdifferently than you expected.
That's where real life happens.

(02:50):
For many entrepreneurs,especially those of us, with
perfectionist tendencies,planning becomes a safe place to
live.
You get to feel productivewithout risking failure.
Here's a little reality checkfor you.
A mediocre plan that getsexecuted will always beat a
perfect plan that stays onpaper.

(03:11):
Just think about it.
Okay, so here's how to break theplanning trap using my reality
check method.
First reality.
Check your planning addiction.
Yes.
It's a real thing.
Ask yourself, am I planning tomake progress or am I planning
to avoid taking action?
Be brutally honest withyourself.
If you've been planning the sameproject for more than a month,

(03:33):
you are procrastinating, notstrategizing.
Next, identify your minimumviable plan.
What's the absolute smallestversion of your idea that you
could launch or test?
Not the perfect version, theversion that would give you real
feedback from real people.
This is your execution startingpoint.

(03:54):
Then start planning a deadline.
Give yourself a specific date.
When the planning stops and thedoing starts, mark it on your
calendar.
Tell someone about it.
Make it real, because without adeadline, planning expands to
fill whatever time you give it.
Now, here's how to put this intopractice today.
When resistance shows up, and itwill remind yourself that

(04:18):
imperfect action beats perfectinaction every single time.
Your first version doesn't needto be your final version.
In fact, it shouldn't be.
Build this into your existingroutine by creating action days
where planning is completely offlimits.
These are days where you onlyexecute on the plans that you've

(04:38):
made.
No researching, no strategizing,no optimizing.
Just doing the most commonobstacle.
Fear that you haven't plannedenough, but here's what I've
learned from building multiplebusinesses.
You can't plan your way out ofuncertainty.
You can only act your waythrough it.

(04:58):
The market will teach you thethings that no amount of
planning ever could to maintainmomentum, celebrate execution
over planning.
Stop rewarding yourself forcreating another spreadsheet and
start celebrating everyimperfect action you take
because that's what actuallymoves your business forward.
Here's what I want you toremember about today.

(05:20):
Your business doesn't exist inyour planning documents.
It exists in the real world withreal customers solving real
problems, and the only way toget it from your head to reality
is through action.
Sometimes you just need toreality check whether you're
actually moving forward or justfeeling busy and moving in
circles.

(05:41):
Stop planning your way toperfection and start executing
your way to success.
This action over planningapproach is exactly what I teach
entrepreneurs in my one-to-onecoaching.
And Growth Collective Mastermindgroup.
You can [e-mail], and you
can also find me on Instagram atexclusively Cindy for daily

(06:03):
doses of entrepreneurial realitychecks.
Your action step for today is topick one thing that you've been
planning and take the smallestpossible action on it before you
go to bed tonight.
Not perfect action.
Just action.
Because done is better thanperfect and perfect is the enemy
of progress.

(06:24):
Now go make it happen.
And remember, you've got

Speaker (06:28):
Thanks for spending these few minutes with me today.
Remember, overwhelm isn'tpermanent.
It's simply your brain's way ofsaying pause and take a little
reality check.
If this was helpful, you'll lovemy weekly email tips where I
share the systems that keep meand hundreds of other
entrepreneurs on Track Link inthe show notes.
If you got value in today'sepisode, please share it with

(06:50):
another entrepreneur who needsthat reminder.
If you're loving the show, I'dbe so grateful if you could
leave me a quick review.
It helps other overwhelmedentrepreneurs find us.
Make sure you hit subscribe soyou never miss your weekly dose
of clarity.
For more resources and toconnect with me, visit
exclusively cindy.com.
Until next time, remember you'vegot this.