Time to Pause

One of the things that I have been reflecting on this week was inspired by our classmates sharing their experiences.  From the start of this class I have been searching for the perfect venture, opportunity, passion to launch from.  Happily, I have joined a grouped that is focused on their mission and open to revising the venture as it better meets the mission.  Amber has done a great job of “being the keeper of the vision” which we talked about a few weeks ago after reading “14 ways to be a Great start up CEO.”

 Although Face Race is going through a transformation, the vision and mission of the venture is still very much the forefront of our actions.  The reflection that I am wrestling with was an issue for me personally both when I was pursuing the feasibility of my own venture and currently as a part of this team.  Whenever I go into “action” mode, my focus continually comes back to infrastructure items on the “to do” list. 

Our classmates shared that they had received feedback that included months of work on an infrastructure piece of their venture that was maybe mistimed when there were other steps that needed to be accomplished first.  I struggle with always wanting to complete similar infrastructure tasks first before others.  I think it is because creating platforms, compiling trainings manuals, taping teachers are all tasks with clear paths to follow. 

A valuable part of this course that I want to carry forward with me into my career is to continue to write and reflect on the current status of whatever project/mission/ focus I am trying to accomplish.  What is just rambling to anyone else, is actually the only productive strategy that I have found in taking the time to pause and take the time to ask yourself…Does this make sense?  It is so frustrating to get to the end of an assignment, or work task and realize that your just kept going without that reflection and ended up far off course. 

I am sure this was an obvious or natural strategy for others.  But a struggle for myself, I have ended up down the rabbit hole many times and lost sight of my next step.  In the coming weeks I will be looking for opportunities to pause and reflect, both alone and with my teammates to ask if the transformation of the venture makes.  Paying close attention to not focusing on those “infrastructure” tasks that I typically choose.