Procrastination and second-guessing are the mortal enemies of spontaneous brilliance and action.

Do you hear that noise? It’s the sound of windows of opportunity slamming shut all around you. In today’s fast-paced and competitive world, ideas and opportunities won’t keep. You either do something with your best ideas—and fast—or someone else will.

Does this mean that we should rush our ideas to market, whether they are ready or not? No, but it does mean that speed to market is more important than waiting around for total perfection. To put it another way, a good idea delivered today may be way more valuable than a perfect idea delivered next year.

Ready Fire Aim!

 An old proverb reminds us, “What isn’t tried won’t work.” That’s a nice way of saying: don’t just sit there, TRY something. Instead of “Ready, aim, fire,” consider “Ready, fire, aim.”

Translation: Gather as much information as possible to support your new idea, keep gathering and course correcting—but get going on executing the idea sooner rather than later. If you mess it up, start over and adjust your sights, but get it out there in the real world. Discoveries and success typically come more from moving forward and making mistakes than from holding back and overanalyzing.