Article By Kevin L. DeWitt

Many times, we get stuck in inaction … myself included.  We have doubts, worry about being perfect, and become distracted through too much planning.  And the result: we’re stopped from moving forward.

I don’t propose that we should all be a buzz of activity every day, week in and week out.  However … I do believe it’s easy get lost in the distractions of the world and lose sight of what’s important, and how to actually accomplish our goals and dreams.

With this in mind, here are some rules of action — just some small reminders, things I’ve found useful but by no means invented, common-sense stuff that is often not common enough:

Don’t over-think.  Too much thinking often results in getting stuck, in going in circles.  Some thinking is good — it’s good to have a clear picture of where you’re going or why you’re doing this … but don’t get stuck thinking.  Instead do.

Just start.  All the planning in the world will get you nowhere unless you take that first step, no matter how small or how shaky.

Forget perfection.  Perfectionism is the enemy of action.  Stop it.  You can’t let perfect stop you from doing.  You can turn a bad performance into a good one, but you can’t turn no performance into a good performance.  So get going.

Don’t mistake motion for action.  This is a very common mistake.  Simple activity doesn’t mean you’re doing anything.  When you find yourself moving too quickly, doing too many things at once, this is a good reminder to stop, slow down and focus.

Focus on the important actions.  Clear away the distractions.  Then identify the one most important thing you must do today, and focus on that - exclusively.  When you’re done with that, repeat the process.

Move slowly, consciously.  Be deliberate.  Action doesn’t need to be done fast.  IT needs to be done well.  In fact … “fast” often leads to mistakes, and while perfection isn’t at all necessary, neither is making a ridiculous amount of mistakes that could be avoided with little thought.

Take small steps. Biting off more than you can chew will kill the action.  Small steps always work.  

Stop negative thinking.  Self doubt?  The urge to quit?  Telling yourself that it’s OK to be distracted and that you can always get to it later?  Try to stop these thoughts.  Positive thinking actually works. It’s self-talk, and what we tell ourselves has a funny habit of turning into reality.

Meetings are not action.  This is a common mistake in management … holding meetings to get things done.  Meetings, unfortunately, almost always get in the way of actual doing.

Talking (usually) isn’t action.  Unless the action you need to take is a presentation or speech or something … but usually, talking is just talking.  Communication is necessary, but don’t mistake it for actual action.

Sometimes, inaction is better.  This might be the most counter-intuitive item on the list, but if you find yourself spinning your wheels, rethink whether the action is even necessary.  Or better yet, do this from the beginning - is it necessary?  Only do the action that is.

It’s something to think about…

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”
-Martha Graham

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