Isn’t it amazing that we want something … or that something may even be an absolute requirement… but we fail to fully commit to what it takes to get the job done? Or we commit to last minute actions and add the very stressors we can’t afford to handle.
“What is holding us back?” we might ask ourselves. Well, here are a few examples we all may be able to put check marks next to: procrastination, fear of failure, and avoiding the discomforts we may encounter in the unknown.
I like what Moran and Lennington say in their book, UnCommon Accountability: … “it is critical that you are accountable at both the action and thinking level. Before you can do something, you must first believe that you can do it.” You’ve heard advice like this before. But, what stops you from doing what it takes most likely falls within the paragraph above.
Essentially, I see the quote as describing one prerequisite with two major steps. What you believe fuels how and what you think, and together they impact what you do. Are there more requirements? Sure there are … however, get this part right, and you are almost invincible.
I remember being struck with uncertainty and indecision as a teenager. When we would vacillate around whether or not to do something, my father would be very direct and somewhat hard about asking: “Well do you want it, or you don’t want it?” We would stutter, answer him, and know that we could and would do what needed to be done.
Using the metaphor of a mountain climb, we say we want to get to the top, but we don’t want the circumstances we may face along the way. I didn’t like the discomfort of tents. And I especially didn’t like the ones we used one of our nights, that were perched on the side of a rocky incline. (And that’s an actual photo of it above)
Think about the tasks you must face to get to where you want to be. We need to constantly keep our goals in front of us. While Nike’s “just do it” is a mantra we can all adopt, we need our own too. We need a way to constantly remind ourselves of why we must do what we must do to get to the finish line.
Hand holding is nice. But. There comes a time when we have to play harder (or more effectively by playing smarter!) to win the game.
Push through the fear and hesitation—they are speed bumps not roadblocks.
Think of a short, memorable, and impactful phrase you can use as your personal call to action.
Write it. Read it. Say it. And get it done!
