Drive A Stake In The Ground

During the Land Rushes of the late 1800's, especially in places like Oklahoma, anxious settlers would line up at a specified place, at a specified time. When the signal was given ( often a cannon or rifle shot) they would rush into the unclaimed territory and stake their claim. The claims were determined by driving a stake into the ground. Many of the new land occupiers would immediately take decisive action and begin making modest improvements to the land to further establish their claim to ownership. The stakes that these settlers drove into the ground would often include their name and approximate location of the claim.

There comes a time in every analytical task that someone in charge has to say; "We are done with the exaustive analysis. The time has come for us to drive a stake into the ground and begin the work of making our plans work." Moving too fast can create issues but moving too slow can be even more destructive. "Sooners" were the settlers who would slip into the territory before the official start and stake their claim sooner, by bending the rules. The "Sooners" are still out there and if they get their idea staked sooner that you do yours, you will likely be in a reactionary posture.

The phenomon of a paralysis of analysis is as real as it gets. We can literally think a plan to death or think a plan to a status of stagnation which is really a death that has already taken place, but the realization has not yet been accepted. Thinking is good, thinking so much that you fail to take comittted action is not good. The very real possibility exist that if you wait too long, you will lose critical momentum.

You are going to feel a lot better once you make a decision after careful deliberation has taken place. Just like the people in the land rush who did not really know a great deal about the land they were claiming, they claimed it and then they made it work. Had they continued thinking and stayed at the start line when the signal was given to rush, the result would have been dramatically different.

There is safety in the multitude of counsel and therefore it is always a good idea to get the advice and opinion of others and then weigh the options. But after you have carefully considered the possibilities and then set your sight on the desired outcome, get in your horse drawn wagon and go drive a stake in the ground of the territory you have selected.  You will discover, that after the commitment is made and action is taken, you are going to find a way or make a way to get to where you want to go.