As you grow your business or expand into uncharted territory, you might not always be sure of what steps it will take to get there. When that happens, how about using something you’re already familiar with to gain clarity about tackling an unfamiliar task?

For example, how is baking brownies like building a blog? What’s the first thing you do when you prepare to whip up some chocolaty treats? Maybe finding the right brownie recipe is like finding the right blog template. What would be the next step to making brownies? By building on what you know, you’ll discover your own creative resourcefulness, and new tasks will feel less daunting.

Here’s a real-life example. I was recently talking with a client who has a passion for theatre and dreams of opening a theatre company. She was feeling overwhelmed by all that would go into starting a new business. When I asked her what needs to go into preparing for the opening night of a show, she rattled off all the key steps that happen. There’s picking the cast, there are rehearsals, there’s set design, and on and on she went. She knows theatre like the back of her hand. When I asked her how these steps could be applied to business, she easily made translations. The cast was the equivalent of who she needed to be on her team. The set design was setting up the infrastructure of her business. The energy was flowing and she was excited! She started to feel more confident about how much she already knew and how resourceful she was. And she was super motivated by the thrill of opening night!

What’s something that you’re wanting do but aren’t sure about where to start? Map that to something you already know really well. I bet you’ll surprise yourself with your creative solutions!