ACT — Action Changes Things

“To know and not to do is still not to know.” — Confucius

2020 has been a doozy that’s for sure…and there’s still time on the clock for a few more surprises.

For a lot of us, it’s been a year filled with more big disappointments than big wins.

Many people right now are counting down the days until the year is over. But not me…I plan on finishing strong and want to use this message to explain why finishing strong…implementing a comeback plan…and playing a strong offense is the smartest course of action.

But first, I want to shine a bright light on the biggest barrier that stands between you and finishing the year strong.

RIGHT NOW…your life, career or business is at a certain level of performance, productivity and profit.

And my guess is that you’d like to get your mojo back and accelerate to the next level or to an entirely new orbit…Right?

I’m in the same boat.

As success driven individuals…we’re always looking ahead and trying to grow in all that we do.

But that presents a gap.

The “gap” is the difference between where you are now and where you want to be…what you KNOW you should be doing and what you’re ACTUALLY doing.

So…what’s the fastest way to close that gap and finish the year strong?

That’s the purpose of this message, and I can’t wait to share the solution with you.

Success, no matter how you choose to define it, comes down to two key responsibilities…knowing and doing.

The knowing-doing gap is what keeps most people and organizations from accomplishing what they’re capable of.

While I certainly understand the roles and responsibilities you engage in throughout the day are many and complex — I assure you that at the heart of any task, project or goal comes, first, knowledge, then action.

As a coach and consultant…and as somebody who knows a thing or two about driving results…I’ve come to the understanding that the biggest constraint from a performance standpoint, as well as the single best opportunity for a performance explosion lies in closing the gap between knowing and doing.

Why do I know this?

Three words.

Behavior Never Lies.

Who you really are is not to be found in what you believe, say or even KNOW intellectually…but only by what you actually DO.

Intelligence has nothing to do with what you learned in school…intelligence is a way of acting.

That’s a point worth repeating… intelligence is a way of acting.

Need proof?

Here it comes…

To KNOW what needs to be done in a given situation, YET NOT TO DO IT…is a Shakespearean tragedy of epic proportions.

And, for far too many…it IS the story of their lives.

Not convinced?

Allow me to pull back the kimono and go Full Monty on you by exposing the gap between knowing and doing.

We all know that eating a healthy diet is an intelligent decision, yet too many of us choose to eat poorly.

We all know that regular exercise is the smartest thing we can do for our bodies…however a good number of us don’t exercise.

We all know that we should save more than we spend…but the debt held by far too many people, companies and even governments provides proof of a lack of understanding.

We all know that continued learning is the smartest thing we can do for our careers…however most do not even crack open a book after they leave college.

We all know that commitments are meant to be honored, yet when faced with difficulty…integrity, character and resolve quickly heads for the door.

We all know that going the extra mile for our clients is the most intelligent move we can make…however most view it as an inconvenience and choose not to do it.

Knowing is NOT the same as doing. Not by a long shot.

At the risk of being a broken record…

Who you REALLY are is not to be found in what you believe, say or even know intellectually…but only by what you actually DO.

That’s why the greatest performance challenge and growth opportunity that you and I have in finishing the year strong…lies in our ability to accelerate our closing speed and eliminate the gap between knowing and doing.

The faster you do it, and the more consistent your efforts…the sooner you’ll solve this pesky knowing-doing problem…and the stronger finish you’ll have to the year.

If you enjoyed this post…it would mean a lot to me if you could click on the “claps” icon on the left side of page…up to 50 claps allowed — Thank You!

Gary Ryan Blair is creator of the 100 Day Challenge…a radical approach to goal achievement that shows people how to achieve 10X size goals by applying the methods and best practices of growth hacking.