When you have a big idea/goal/change, it can be tempting to jump to make a plan and take action. The idea might happen in learning something new that then inspires a big idea. For the ambitious, self-development enthusiasts that get big ideas regularly and are comfortable with going after it, it can become a regular process of big idea to planning to action.

A key step can get missed…

Collecting and examining what is out there already thoroughly while still keeping momentum.

A Market Audit is a scan of the marketplace. It’s researching what is out there in the world. It can be done thoroughly yet quickly enough to keep energy moving forward. What if the ‘planning’ stage is shortened and instead some of that time is used to collect/learn from what is already out there, in a deliberate, consistent way prior to taking action on doing the big idea/goal/change. What I have found has helped is having a template set that already has it laid out of what information is key to collect across multiple sources. It’s a 1-pager for collection, by source. A general rule of thumb I have used is 4-8 sources/items/profiles. This can be done within the rest of life within 2-4 weeks. Check out the tools page for an example. Test it yourself. Then make it your own. Everyone is different which is important in finding the tools that work for you.