Sometimes running a business (or even just living in general!) can feel a little like the Wild West.

You’re up to your eyeballs in things to do and you’ve got ideas rumbling around in your brain you just know you should be acting on, but finding the time to do them is often tough. #understatementofthedecade

And so, sometimes, when a new inspiration or idea hits, you just ACT.

Like Billy the Kidd in the Wild West, you whip out your gun and shoot from the hip.

In business, that might look like…

…whipping together a LinkedIn profile because you just need to “get out there”

…sending sporadic emails to your list (usually only when you’re selling something)

…putting together a service, package, or offer for a small group of people who may or (most likely) may NOT be your ideal client

…pulling together a website just to have one, as quickly and cheaply as possible.

There’s one major problem with this “shoot from the hip” strategy, however.

It’s not an actual strategy.

A more effective way to take action in your business is to make sure that each action you take is moving you toward a bigger goal that’s part of your bigger picture—in other words, a goal that’s been planned and strategized in advance.

Instead of shooting from the hip, you’re thinking about an idea all the way through before you act.

Handling your business ideas this way allows you to make sure the step you’re about to take will indeed help you achieve your bigger picture goal, as well as help you identify the “next steps” that may naturally come from taking the action you’re thinking of.

Let’s use the LinkedIn profile as an example and walk through what thinking through an idea would look like:

1. Determine what your goal is for your LinkedIn profile and how it fits in with your bigger picture, which might be to get more visible on social media and network with new prospects.
2. Plan out exactly what and when you’re going to post on LinkedIn and how you’re going to interact with new connections, conversations, and leads that come your way.
3. Decide how your presence on LinkedIn fits in with your presence on other social media channels. It’ll be more effective if your message is consistent and cohesive throughout.
4. With the previous steps in place, you’re ready to create your LinkedIn profile—thoroughly and thoughtfully—as one key way of getting yourself “out there.”

See how that works? It may take a little more time, but in the end, it’s a far more effective strategy than jumping into action too quickly.

Because when you take a more thorough approach and think your ideas all the way through, you’re way less likely to have a great idea backfire—and much more likely to hit a business bullseye.

When you take a more thorough approach and think your ideas all the way through, you’re much more likely to hit a business bullseye. Read more: Share on X