I am a visualiser. In order to prepare myself to undertake something new or unfamiliar, I visualise the steps and imagine the scenarios involved. However I recently discovered that sometimes visualising is not enough. Regular readers of this column may remember that I had registered for an open water swim in January (something I have never done before). A few days before the race, the waves were choppy, the swell was big and looking out at the water, I decided not to compete. Although the day of the race ended up being perfect conditions (and I felt some regret at not racing!), it ended up being a good decision. I realised that while I had visualised it fairly well, I learnt a great deal from just watching the race this year. I was able to see the course (instead of just imagining it), check out the other competitors and feel some of the energy and atmosphere of the race. Next year I will be so much more prepared. In business, while there are times when you do need to step into something new without knowing all the details, there are other times when more research and planning will provide a better outcome. You may be able to imagine some aspects and prepare yourself mentally, but some of the following strategies may also help: talk to someone who has done something similar; get some professional advice; undertake a ‘practice run’; test your product of service a couple more times. By all means motivate yourself in whatever way works for you. But make sure you do what you can to minimise your risk of failure.

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender