Stuck In Research Mode? How to Stop F*ckin' Around
How often have you intended to do something but got caught in research mode and never actually took action?!
Maybe you decide you want to update your website, up your marketing game, or finally launch your business. So you check out what other photographers who seem to have their shit together are doing.
Next thing you know, you get sucked down the rabbit hole of looking at tons of other photographers’ websites and Instagram accounts, taking screenshots of things you like and want to try…
Or maybe you sign up for a course hoping to finally nail everything down once and for all, to improve your photography, and to have a plan in place to really get those clients and opportunities rolling in.
Your intentions are good; you feel like things might actually happen this time… but then it doesn’t go any further than that. Instead, you are stuck with a phone full of screenshots, a course that provided you with good information but no real progress, and the feeling of overwhelm because you don’t know where to go from here.
Why does this happen? And how can you move the needle forward instead of remaining in the never-ending research and course-taking cycle?
NMFA Alumni Student Allyson Klein
Don’t get me wrong- I do think research and furthering your education are vital, but I also think sometimes we use them as a way to provide us with a false sense of output and progress and minimal actual action.
In my experience from working with hundreds of students over the years, this staying in research mode is extremely common happens for a few reasons.
Let’s look at those reasons and how you can avoid getting stuck in the research hole.
The Toolbox of Infinite Possibility = Overwhelm
The internet and the number of courses out there for the taking are like a toolbox of infinite possibility. I know I have benefited so much from these options and opportunities. When I have put what I have learned/found to good use (after weeding through the crap first, of course), I have been quite pleased with my progress. But I also know that the sheer overload of information that is out there – sometimes conflicting information – can be overwhelming and confusing. In a state of overwhelm and confusion, this can lead us to do EVEN MORE research and take EVEN MORE courses, trying to find a solution. It can also lead us to procrastinate and do nothing with the knowledge we have gained simply because our brain is overloaded, and watching a bit of Netflix sounds a whole hell of a lot more relaxing.
Image by NMFA Alumni Student Ilze Silina
One way to prevent becoming overwhelmed is to start your research or course with a goal (or goals) in mind and write that goal down. You can also set limits for yourself and seek out accountability. For example, set a timer for 40 minutes when researching on the internet and then commit to doing at least one actionable thing with the knowledge you have gained within 2 days of finding that information. Or get an accountability partner with whom you can share your goals and set deadlines and check-in dates to ensure you are still on track. Let your mentor or instructor know precisely the kind of accountability you need. Make sure they can provide it or at least come up with a solution to help you get to where you want to be. Your mentor should be able to help you weed through the choices so you can find what is right for you, talk through your unique situations and goals, and help guide you with figuring out your next ACTIONABLE steps.
When enrolling in a course or workshop, be sure it is the right program to help you reach your goal(s) and not just a Band-Aid solution. And also, most importantly, commit to taking action. We can learn and absorb tons of great information, but you will only get out of it what you put into it.
Fear (usually subconscious)
Making moves forward can (and should) feel out of your comfort zone, and staying in that “research mode” keeps you feeling safe and gives a false sense of productivity.
One of the first things I have my students dig into when starting any course/workshop/mentorship with me is how they truly feel about taking steps forward in their photography and business. There is usually excitement and anticipation, but once they dig a bit deeper, they also realize there is a bit of fear thrown into the mix that they have not acknowledged or addressed yet.
The first step is decluttering any of these blocks you may be having. Figuring out what they are, why you might be having them, and how you can face them head-on to push through.
This fear can range from fear of failure, fear of more responsibility, fear of success, fear of judgment, and fear of being seen as an imposter…. And a whole bunch of other subconscious fears that can block your progress.
These are normal feelings, and in an ideal world, I would say, “Well, let’s make you confident .” But, after years of working with students, I realize, rather than confidence (because I cannot promise that… I mean, I am not always confident myself, so how can I expect that of you?), I want you to have courage. Courage over confidence gives us the fire under our asses to take action and put ourselves out there.
Self-Sabotage
I used to be the queen of self-sabotage. My self-sabotage swung from the perfectionist side of the spectrum, and all the way over to the habitual procrastination side of the spectrum, just depending on what mood I was in. I would come up with an idea, get excited about it, start researching ways I could make it work, and then realize I need to make some decisions to actually to do the damn thing. So, I would tell myself I am going to look into it more, plan more, sleep on it, get things perfect before doing it, and on and on and on with any other excuse I could come up with. Anything to avoid having to make a choice or put myself out there. And I would just stay stuck.
Image by NMFA Alumni Student Laura Guttierrez
I know part of the reason I did this was that I wanted perfectionism before showing anything because of the fear of how it would reflect on me and that I wasn’t good enough. The other reason was, making even the smallest decision to go left or right on a project felt so intimidating to me. It can be scary making a decision (even if the decision to be made seems trivial) because decisions feel final.
Shit- even writing this text on “getting out of research mode” feels daunting, and I am putting it out days later than I wanted to because there were a few directions I could go with this. There is so much I want to say about it, and I feel it is a topic that is important and doesn’t get discussed enough, so I want it to be perfect. But, I also realize I need to just pick a direction, go with my gut (and write based on my experiences or experiences my students have had). If I want to, I can always write more on it later.
What got me out of self-sabotage mode TODAY was being self-aware. I called myself out, I recognized what I was doing (or not doing) for the past couple of days, thought about why I was avoiding sharing these words and realized that I hate the idea of the “what if?” more than the idea of if anyone else out there can relate.
And here I am now, typing this!
The idea of being left with “hey, what if I had actually written that thing about feeling stuck/not making progressive/being overwhelmed/fear/self-sabotage, I wonder what would have happened?” feels like a lot more of a waste of time and energy than actually giving it a whirl and finding out if anyone can relate.
Be Wary of Idealistic Versions
Another reason we seem to get stuck and make very little progress is that a lot of the information and courses out there only provide an idealistic version of how things are done. It’s almost this toxic positivity of, “Just do these few things exactly how I say, and do them perfectly, and with a smile, and you will be set for the rest of your life.” And suppose the information you were provided isn’t working or doesn’t fit into your life/market/whatever. In that case, it can feel discouraging and like, “If I am struggling to do these things because of x, y, and z, then I must not be made for this industry, so maybe I shouldn’t waste my time trying.”
Image by NMFA Alumni Student Sara Cardoso Silva
With this idealistic approach, we are left with more self-doubt, more overwhelmed, more searching for answers, and more self-sabotage because we feel undeserving.
I call bullshit on this!
I am not saying that every YouTube video, every mentor or instructor, and every internet site has to have every answer (I know I don’t have all the answers!). And I am not saying that positive encouragement is unnecessary (I know I like a bit of positive encouragement myself!). But, I am saying there is more than one way of doing things, more than one way of finding success for yourself. Positive encouragement should be balanced with the understanding of very real nuances, individual situations, and dynamics of reality.
Do not be discouraged or give up on what you want to do simply because you cannot relate to the idealist version that is being put out there.
Suppose you know that you can only work Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and all you are finding are people and articles saying you need to work at least 6 days a week to achieve what you want to do. In that case, it is time to either find different information or start tweaking the information you do have so it can fit into your life.
In my case, I know I stayed stuck for a very long time because I can be somewhat disorganized (more on this at another time, but my disorganization comes from a mix of ADD, anxiety, depression, and just being a creative person). I stayed in research mode for so long because I had convinced myself I could never have a business because business people are incredibly organized, and my brain just does not work that way. I wanted to be that person so badly, and continuing to add to my research collection made me feel like I was making strides.
Everything I had seen, read, and heard up to that point was about having THE perfect system if I wanted to be successful. I kept searching and searching for someone to tell me it didn’t have to be perfect all of the time. I was searching for someone to tell me that if my anxiety and depression kicked in and I was down for a couple of weeks while I sorted myself out, I could still have a business and everything I had worked on building up would not be wiped away in one swift moment simply because my brain works differently.
And while I never found the article, course, or YouTube video to tell me that it would be okay and that I could still be a hot mess and be successful, what I did find was that I was determined to make it work anyway. I was determined to get out of the research mode, to find a way to make it work for me. To take what I had learned from my previous work and studies, from all of the courses and talks, and experiences, and to make it work for me.
I knew I had to stop f*ckin’ around if I wanted to do this. I needed to have the courage to show up and take steps toward what I wanted. I needed to figure out exactly what I needed to move forward and make this work. Goals, accountability, options other than just ONE way to do things, frameworks I could tweak, deadlines, plans, actionable steps, encouragement, a sense of community, realness, deeper conversations, and consistency with a small bit of leeway for when I need it without letting me get away with just staying stagnant where I was comfortable. Oh, I needed fun and laughs too because what is all of this without a good time?
So that’s what I did, and I am happy to say it has worked! Of course, I still have those moments of getting stuck and self-doubt, and things are not always perfect, but I am beyond proud of where I am now vs. where I started. I am beyond proud that I was able to see my goals through so that I could set even more goals beyond my photography and photography business.
Figure out what you need to move forward and what kind of support you need.
This experience is what pushed me to start mentoring other photographers, and what inspired me to start teaching with Jenna Shouldice. I feel, that getting input from 2 mentors is like gold! 2x the encouragement, 2x the guidance, 2x the support!
No More F*ckin’ Around
Can you imagine what would happen if you got out of research mode and courageously started showing up? Can you imagine what would happen if you had the support, accountability, and guidance, encouraging you to be exactly who you are and to make actual MOVES?
Accountability and guidance are where those stuck in the research / learn cycle can get unstuck and take action. Accountability and guidance are about helping you identify who you are as a photographer and business owner, providing you with only the best tools, frameworks, and support so your photography and business work for you.
This is what No More F*ckin’ Around will do for you. Over 12 months, you will be making actionable steps to achieve your goals. You will be building your brand, voice, portfolio, website, pricing, photography, marketing, and more – all with the guidance, support, and accountability of your 2 mentors and a small community of your peers.
Enroll today to participate in this fantastic and transformative program, and take advantage of the early enrollment bonuses (the Contract of your choice and a bonus month of the program).
x,
Ash Raddatz