You Need To Collide With Reality

“Knowledge gained through experience is far superior and many times more useful than bookish knowledge.” – Mahatma Gandhi

You can read about it all you want.  You can research, gather data, take notes and watch videos but in the end all you will gain is knowledge.  True understanding, comes from doing.

Are you thinking that the sure way to become successful in business is only through higher education?  Sure, it may help you, but having an MBA will not make or break your business.

I have built a successful business that is still growing without having an MBA, or even a bachelor’s degree in Business, mine is in Marine Biology.  Getting an MBA helps with creating a network and understanding the template of what it takes to build a business, but there are many successful entrepreneurs and business owners out there that do not have one (CLICK HERE to read about 12 that actually dropped out of college).  An MBA will cost around $60,000, and the greatest cost could be the amount of time you spend getting it. Time that could be spent, building your business. 

Do some research, get things fleshed out and then collide with reality as soon as possible.  How do you collide with reality?  If there is someone already running a business, or working in a field you’re interested in, reach out and see if you can shadow them for a few days.  Audit the business/career.  If you have a new idea for a product, process or service find the simplest way to beta test it.  Before Netflix was a streaming service, they were a rent by mail DVD service.  In order for the owners to test out this theory, they took a couple of CDs (Compact Disc’s, because DVD’s were a new technology) and sent them through the mail.  This allowed for them to know if the idea was even feasible. If you’re thinking about starting an app, first see if there’s a way to start with something not so technical to gage whether or not the product or service is something people would even be interested in.

Regardless, action is required for anything to happen.  Not taking action and holding back is all fear based, and fearful inaction helps no one.  Move to a mindset of fierce action, taking bold steps towards what you desire.  Most learning is best done through doing, and I’m telling you right now, the lessons learned from making mistakes in the real world, hit harder and faster than any you can learn in a text book. When the punches are for real you learn how to bob, weave, pivot and readjust with greater agility and speed.