Stop Thinking So Much and Start Taking Action
Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in. –Andrew Jackson
I love to think and strategize, but I’ve realized it’s making me ineffective.
Taking action and being thoughtful is can often be in tension with one another. Planners want to plan, and movers want to move.
But which is better?
UNEXECUTED PLANS ARE NO GOOD
Everyone has plans, projects, and goals they are seeking to get done. But many of those ideas get derailed before they are executed upon because they were stuck in the “thinking zone.”
The “thinking zone” is where plans and strategies are worked up, and one of two things usually happens:
First, we can devise a perfect approach of execution, so the idea stays in a state of theory and inaction.
Second, we feel so good about the plan it’s almost as if we’ve accomplished it without lifting a finger. So we end up not taking action on the “perfect strategy.”
“Talk depletes us. Talking and doing fight for the same resources. Research shows that while goal visualization is important, after a certain point, our mind begins to confuse it with actual progress.” –Ryan Holiday
You know when you’re a thinker when you have journals and notebooks filled with beautiful plans and elaborate ideas. Thoughts are scribbled on whiteboards, post-its, and scraps of paper.
Many of them will never see the light of day. They are the countless thoughts cataloged for all time, and most will never be acted upon.
Action divides the thinkers from the movers.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN IDEAS
The superior man acts before he speaks and afterward speaks according to his action. - Confucius
Get busy! Growing up we would say, “Walk about it! Don’t talk about it!”
Taking action over deliberating and planning takes heart. At some point, we have to move from plans to real work and that means making a commitment and taking risks.
To get out of the “thinking zone” you’ve got to get serious about taking real steps in real time. There are many unknown variables, and there will be setbacks, but it will be worth it in the end.
Stop tricking yourself into thinking there is a better plan or more to figure out. Work with what you know and pivot while you move ahead.
ACTION IS A WAY OF LIFE
Have a bias toward action — let’s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away. — Indira Gandhi
Stop over-planning and under-acting.
Planning and deliberating are critically important, but planning without action is futile.
Inaction leads to regret. Shoulda, coulda, woulda is not the story you want to be read about your life.
Action always trumps intention.
INACTION IS COSTLY
Planning to do something is great. Doing it is even better.
When you consistently think but don’t execute you are creating a lifestyle of inaction. You may have the most excellent ideas in the world, but plans without action are just scratch marks on sheets of paper.
Progress is dependent upon action.
Motivational videos, inspirational quotes, and filled journals are no good if you don’t make a move. What is one thing you can act on right now? What can you put into action based on this article or the last book you read?
Thinking about doing is more draining than doing.
When we don’t act we create burdens for ourselves. Unaccomplished goals and ideas are like having too many programs running on your computer. It slows you down.
You’re always left wondering how things would have turned out had you taken steps to accomplish your goals.
As long as you have a to-do list and you have ideas, things will be undone. But action creates movement so that we are continuously removing and adding new things to the list. Journals aren’t just for the capturing of thoughts, but they can also stand as a record of actions taken over time.
A sure-fire way to NOT get things done is to plan and never execute.
TAKE ACTION NOW
Momentum begets momentum, and the best way to start is to start. — Gil Penchina
What can I do right now to take even the smallest step towards achieving my most important goal on my to-do list?
The answer can be something simple that can be done in 10 minutes or less. The first practical step that comes to mind go and do it.
Once you get rolling, momentum will keep you moving. Action creates more action. Momentum will help you to move ahead more quickly.
Taking action takes the same energy as planning and thinking. But when you take action now you are moving towards goals and a life you always dreamed of, rather than just thinking about it.
