One huge lesson that I have learned over the years is that you have to act. I don’t mean acting like “Meryl Streep acting,” I mean taking action, like Rambo. Procrastination is the enemy of progress and success. If you want to do anything in your life, you must take action.
It may sound pretty straightforward, but so many of us do not do what we say that we want to do. We spend much of our life talking about what we want but never actually accomplish many of them. Someday I want to travel to Italy, take an Alaskan Cruise, or write a novel. Eventually, it will be too late unless I take steps to get there. We all have a limited amount of time here on earth, and time does not slow down while we procrastinate.
I find myself making excuses about why I am not getting things done. I am tired, I worked a lot today, I don’t have an idea, I am not motivated, and the proverbial, I don’t feel like it. Really? What does that mean? Do you need to feel like doing something to do it? Most of the time, we don’t feel like doing anything useful, but if we obeyed that thinking, we would be living in filth, never bathing, and watching our life go by while scrolling through social media. How many times have you said, “I want to get into better shape, or I want to eat healier and lose weight.” We decide that we want to do something, then we do not take actual steps to make it happen.
To turn your passive dream into a reality or change a decision into a goal, we have to start doing something. Like many of us, you may need a push, so here are some ways to start.
Stop overthinking. We procrastinate because we want to get it right. We want to be sure that conditions are right and that our results will be perfect. Perfection is the enemy of action. Overthinking will cause you to question all actions and prevent you from progress. One of the best things that I ever heard from “The Life Coach School” is the statement that, “B minus work out into the world is better than A+ work in your head.” Working on things to make them better is the key, but you have to get something out - anything out - even if it is B minus. This statement is the thing that got me writing in the first place. I decided it was better to put out some writing than no writing, even if it was not perfect.
Stop waiting for the “right” time. This is something that we do. I have heard of people waiting to have children until things are right, starting a business when things are right. If we keep waiting for the right time, the days, weeks, months, and years will pass. We will wake up one day and discover that we have accomplished nothing or have missed some golden opportunity. We wait for the “right” time because we think when the time is right, things will be easier, or we will be more successful. Never true. Negative things will happen even when the time is right, so do not wait. I am not telling you to be reckless and leap without thinking things through, but so many of us spend our time thinking that we neglect to get busy doing. Action is the only way to get something that you want.
“Just do it!” Work on becoming someone that speaks an idea and then acts it into reality. If you say, “Today is a great day to take a run.” Get up, put on your shoes, and go. Become someone that moves. Movement creates momentum towards any goal. If you want to make a million dollars, get up and go to work doing something. Start by making a dollar and keep acting and saving until you have a million. Sitting around wishing that you had a better job or more money will not get you that million. People make money one dollar and one day at a time. If you start today, you will wake up one day with that million in the bank. If you don’t start working, you will never have it.
Once you get started with action, keep going. Many of us quit because good things take time to develop. The only people that do not get ahead are those that stopped trying. I know that failure is hard, but action creates failure and success. You cannot do either by standing still. Step out and take action, and when you fail, correct course and take another action. Learn from your mistakes and let them push you in the direction that you need to go. If you plan to “do” something for 15 minutes a day, that will turn into progress that will create momentum. Seeing your accomplishments will encourage you to keep working.
This week, vow to take some action towards your goals. Join me by setting your sights on something then promising to do a small action step. Dare yourself to get over your fears and do it. Let me know what you do.
Dr. Julie Cappel
“Well done is better than well said.” ― Benjamin Franklin
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” –Confucius
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