Marcus Aurelius on choosing and moving
Marcus Aurelius wrote:
“So make your choice straightforwardly, once and for all, and stick to it. Choose what’s best. Best is what benefits me.”
You’ve been sitting on that idea for months. You’ve researched, planned, tweaked, and second-guessed every angle. Meanwhile, someone else with half your knowledge has already launched, made their first sale, and is learning what actually works.
Jeff Bezos makes billion-dollar decisions with 70% of the data. Why are you stuck perfecting a $1,000 offer?
Overthinking feels smart. Too often it’s procrastination in disguise. You tell yourself you’re being strategic. You just need more time to get it right. Are you planning, or are you scared to move?
We thought we had a winner. We didn’t.
We thought we had a winner. The numbers lined up. The market seemed ready. Everything pointed to success. We launched a test and got crickets. Absolutely nothing.
That’s the beauty of testing. You get real answers, fast.
Instead of betting everything on an unproven idea, we ran a small-scale test. When the results came back with no traction, we could pivot without taking a massive financial or operational hit.
I’ve learned not to argue with data. If reality says something isn’t going to work after a fair trial, there’s no point wishing it were different. Because we ran it as a test rather than a full launch, we could learn the lesson and move on without devastating the business.
Have you ever sat on an idea for months, convinced it needs to be perfect before you take action? Meanwhile, someone else — less experienced, less knowledgeable — has already launched and is getting real feedback. Frustrating, right?
Small tests, big lessons
Early in my business, I spent low five figures on TV commercials. Not a business-ending amount, but not cheap either. The campaign failed. The failure taught me something valuable. Advertising to a general market wasn’t effective for our services. I confirmed it through tests in newspapers, magazines, and other media.
Each test had a cost. Each one taught me a valuable lesson. Eventually, saying no to certain marketing opportunities became easy because I had enough data points to know what wouldn’t work.
I see this pattern with coaching clients. One client agonized for months about raising her rates. She worried about losing clients, damaging relationships, pricing herself out of her market. When she finally tested a substantial increase, she was shocked by how little resistance she encountered.
The difference? Testing gave her real data instead of imagined obstacles.
What tech startups figured out
Tech entrepreneurs figured this out long ago. Steve Blank and Eric Ries revolutionized startup methodology by emphasizing rapid testing over perfect planning. Their books focus on software development. The core principles apply just as well to service businesses.
Get out of the building. Instead of guessing what your market wants, talk to real people. Have actual conversations. Test real offers. Blank’s customer-development emphasis puts real feedback ahead of assumptions.
Build-Measure-Learn. Ries’s framework changed how startups operate. Start with a minimum viable offering. Measure actual response. Learn and adjust.
Focus on real results. Ignore vanity metrics. Watch what people actually do — especially with their wallets. A thousand likes mean nothing if no one buys.
In a service business
Instead of spending months perfecting your new coaching program, talk to potential clients about what they actually need. Test your ideas in real conversations before building anything.
Start by offering your new service to a small group. Test different price points with new clients. Try one marketing channel at a time. Each small test gives you real data about what works.
Don’t get distracted by positive feedback or social media engagement. Watch what people buy and what they’re willing to pay for. Let real client behavior guide your decisions.
A practical book
For a no-BS approach specifically built for small businesses, I’d put Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan in your hands. Unlike the tech-focused methodologies, Kagan’s approach fits coaches, consultants, and other service providers. He shows how to identify high-potential opportunities by analyzing real market demand. Develop quick plans that test viability. Run 48-hour validation challenges to get actual paying customers. Focus on solving real problems instead of “nice to have” services. Build your “ask muscle” by overcoming fear of rejection.
If you’re stuck in endless planning mode, this book will help you shift into action.
Making testing work
Modern tools make testing easier than ever. Landing pages to test new offers. Different price points in different channels. Messaging tested on small audience segments. Quick surveys for feedback.
The principle stays the same. Small tests yield big insights.
Start small. Begin with a limited group or a specific segment. When we tested new services at the agency, we often started with just one referral source or one type of patient. That let us refine before scaling.
Set clear parameters. Define what success looks like. Give yourself a deadline. When I ran the TV commercial test, we had specific metrics and a set timeframe. When it didn’t hit those marks, we moved on.
Learn fast. Document everything. Apply the lessons immediately. Each test, success or failure, should teach you something specific about your market.
The power of inertia
One of my business mentors said something that stuck with me:
You can be in business for ten years, or you can relive the first year ten times.
If you don’t act consistently — testing, learning, improving — you never build momentum. You’re constantly restarting instead of compounding.
Jim Collins calls this the Flywheel Effect. Small, consistent efforts build momentum. At first, pushing the flywheel takes work. Every turn builds on the last. Eventually, it gains so much speed it moves on its own.
The alternative is stopping and starting. Never getting real traction. Staying in the cycle of overthinking, hesitating, and missing out on growth.
If you hesitate long enough, your competition — not necessarily people who are better than you, just people who take action — will pass you by.
Stop waiting
You don’t need more time. You don’t need more planning. You need action.
If you’ve been waiting to raise your prices, test it with three clients this week.
If you’ve been thinking about launching a new offer, sell it first, build it after.
If you’re unsure whether a new marketing strategy will work, run a thirty-day experiment.
Pick a new offer. Test it with three people. Gather feedback and adjust.
Success isn’t about perfect decisions. It’s about fast decisions, real-world learning, and continuous improvement.
What’s one thing in your business that you’ve been overthinking? What will you test first?
About the Author
Ron Tester is a physical therapist with thirty years in the field. He built, grew, and operated a multidisciplinary home health company employing PTs, OTs, and SLPs through a successful exit. He now coaches outpatient PT, OT, and SLP clinic owners on operating at the owner level. Certified Executive Coach and Book Yourself® Solid Coach. Learn more at https://rontestercoaching.com/about.