Most People Wait Forever for This — Please Stop
Stop waiting for someone to teach you what you already know
“There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision.”
— William James
There is a moment when most people fail.
This moment passes by so quickly, that hardly anyone notices.
And this moment can happen over and over again — to the same person and in the same place.
And the only way to avoid this moment is to recognize it — the first time — and do something about it.
What is this moment? Why is it so short? Why do so many people silently miss amazing opportunities?
Because they know what to do, and they don’t do it.
Harnessing Your Instincts
“Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course, the space between your ears.”
— Robert Tyre Jones, Jr.
One of my favorite people to read about is the golfer Bobby Jones. Mark Frost wrote a fantastic book about him, and there is a powerful movie with Jim Caviezel playing Bobby Jones.
Bobby was the first golfer to ever win the pre-Masters Grand Slam. He later retired from the game of golf due to health reasons. But he was also responsible for starting the Masters golf tournament at the now-famous Augusta National Golf Club.
There is a perfect scene in the movie where the writer O.B. Keeler, played by Malcolm McDowell, is speaking with Bobby at a critical juncture.
Bobby had the talent to win every match he played, but he has not yet put it together.
O.B. recognizes that Bobby’s problem is not physical. Bobby does not need to change anything about his swing or golf game. He just needed to realize that he already knew how to win.
In the scene, O.B. tells Bobby:
“Bobby Jones, you are the best, damn golfer in the world. And once you get that through your head, you’re not going to just win one tournament. You’re going to win them all.”
At some point, we all know what we need to do. We just need to do it.
Sadly, something gets in the way.
Excuses
“Knowing is not enough, we apply.
Willing is not enough, we must do.”
— Bruce Lee
There is a point where you cannot move forward unless you do what you know you need to do.
Don’t miss it.
Sometimes that moment is so brief — a few seconds. And then gone.
Most people then invent excuses to justify why we did not do what needed to be done.
Those excuses can paralyze us, or trap us. Or prevent us from ever getting new opportunities.
An excuse is just a way to avoid our responsibilities that we believe that everyone else will accept, if we tell them.
Don’t fall for it. Ditch the excuses.
You Already Know What To Do
“Stop waiting to be taught something you already know.”
— Tim Grover
Ten minutes ago, I was sitting down where I am now, reflecting on the past 10 days. I see a stack of things that I wanted to do that are not yet done.
Where did I go wrong? What would I do differently if I could go back 10 days?
Here is exactly what I would do:
- I would recognize that moment, however brief, when I knew that I had to do what I needed to do, and I would just do it.
- I would do what my friend Brandon Ansel calls the “next right thing”. Do whatever is “next” and “right”.
- Nothing less important than my next right thing would even be thought about until the next right thing is complete.
It’s Not About What Other People Know
“Instinct is the opposite of science. Research tells you what others have learned. Instinct tells you what you have learned.”
— Tim Grover
Most people think that if you have enough knowledge, then you can succeed. If you do enough research, then you will be successful.
But I am not sure.
Many people “know” more than everyone else, and still do not move ahead.
The failure of the infamous hedge fund Long Term Capital Management proves this. You can’t just put the smartest people in the world in a room and assuredly expect success.
So what do we do? What if we don’t “know” everything?
Focus on what you have learned — not on what everyone else knows. Focus on your instincts.
At some point, you will know what you need to do. It might not be right now, but it will happen. And knowing is not enough.
But when you know…
Do it.
Don’t make an excuse — or excuses.
Do it. Every time.
“You must always be prepared to place a bet on yourself, on your future, by heading in a direction that others seem to fear.”
— Robert Greene
Call To Action
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