Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. ~Francis of Assisi
I posted a quote on Social Media, “Decide what kind of life you want… And then say no to everything that isn’t that.” The comments were varied, as would be expected for a post. However, the ones that stood out to me were the naysayers. “Easier said than done.”, “Sure, in theory, but it’s hard to say no.”
Humans are pleasure seekers, but to what cost will we go only to have pleasure? Unfortunately, many will skirt discomfort by drinking too much alcohol or taking drugs. There is nothing wrong with having a good time; however, identifying if we let the good time roll overshadow our personal growth is essential.
Why do we want the easy road? Being born is difficult; I have heard it described as a near-death experience for a baby coming out of the birth canal. Birds arduously peck their way out of the shells that once protected them, and some mammals in the wild drop their newborns onto the ground to stimulate their first breath. Our initial experience in life is the challenge of surviving the birthing process. It is not easy, but in fact, it makes us strong.
Success lies with those who put their heads down, keep moving forward, and aren’t detoured when it gets tricky; a quote attributed to John F Kennedy: When the going gets tough, the tough get going; meaning when the situation becomes difficult, the strong will work harder to meet the challenge.
So, when did we equate easy with good? Easy is not always good, nor is it better. Fast food is easy; however, as we now know, it is not healthy for us. Disposable, you name it, is certainly not suitable for the environment. The conveniences of making life easy have also sped up the expectations that time should be filled and filled up with what?
We want life to be easy, but we forget to understand that easy is not how we grow. We grow with challenges to face and with problems to solve. By eliminating the chance to address these obstacles, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to improve.
It is crucial to acknowledge there is a difference between wanting and doing. If no action is taken to achieve it, to want is for naught. Are you willing to do what it takes for success?
We want to lose weight, get a better job, and learn a new skill, but the doing part is where we get stuck. If we’re going to make a difference in our lives and the lives of others, we must become doers.
Ways to Become a Doer
Take your mind out of the equation, which means STOP overthinking. Paralysis by analysis happens when we think so much we talk ourselves out of taking action.
Stop thinking there is a better time to start. There will never be a perfect time without glitches and obstacles. It may never happen when all the stars align, so it’s best to give it a go now. We can control what we can, then let everything else go.
Focus on now. Place your attention on one thing. Be here now in the present moment. Allow for tunnel vision to envelope you.
Get out of your comfort zone. Ask yourself: what is the priority to do today? Rather than what is the easiest, most straightforward thing to do, face what makes you scared or nervous. Are you afraid to fail? Fear is naturally dissipated by doing more and thinking less. You’re becoming the better version of who you are meant to be by taking chances.
JUST DO IT: Get up and do it when you think of it. If you let the opportunity pass, your motivation will leave. The phrase the most challenging part is starting is accurate, yet once we start, we are halfway there.
Then keep it going. Once the momentum starts, it is always easier to keep it going. Use a calendar to write down each day you are on track or, better yet, find an accountability partner you can do it with or at least check in with daily.
Do something differently. When we vary our experiences, we transform our internal hard drives. Noticing something from a different point of view will alter our perspective. Change our thoughts, and our life changes.
Surround yourself with doers. We become, by osmosis, more like those we hang with. Allow doers to challenge you to become more.
Eliminate the noise. Noise distraction, including the noise in our heads, is the most significant deterrent to accomplishing anything. Don’t wait until all your emails are answered, the dishes are washed, the bills paid, and the dog walked, all calling to you when we sit down to focus. Instead, commit yourself to the next 15, 30, or 60 minutes. They are yours to concentrate on whatever you want to accomplish that day. Those other things can wait, maybe not the dog, so walk him first.
To do starts with one step—one step and then another. Oh, and I almost forgot the most important part: if you put passion behind your project, the hard becomes easy, and the steps become a joy. Become a doer. There is no better time to start than now.
A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.
~George Bernard Shaw
