MESSAGE
| DATE | 2007-08-23 |
| FROM | email
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Doers
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This article is pretty good and it reminded me about the debate (we had
ages ago it seems) whether or not "doer" is a word...
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/grow-the-action-habit/
7 Ways to Grow the Action Habit
by John Wesley · 22 Comments
cyclists People at the top of every profession share one quality — they
get things done. This ability supercedes intelligence, talent, and
connections in determining the size of your salary and the speed of your
advancement.
Despite the simplicity of this concept there is a perpetual shortage of
people who excel at getting results. The action habit — the habit of
putting ideas into action now — is essential to getting things done.
Here are 7 ways you can grow the action habit:
1. Don’t wait until conditions are perfect - If you’re waiting to start
until conditions are perfect, you probably never will. There will always
be something that isn’t quite right. Either the timing is off, the
market is down, or there’s too much competition. In the real world there
is no perfect time to start. You have to take action and deal with
problems as they arise. The best time to start was last year. The second
best time is right now.
2. Be a doer - Practice doing things rather than thinking about them. Do
you want to start exercising? Do you have a great idea to pitch your
boss? Do it today. The longer an idea sits in your head without being
acted on, the weaker it becomes. After a few days the details gets hazy.
After a week it’s forgotten completely. By becoming a doer you’ll get
more done and stimulate new ideas in the process.
3. Remember that ideas alone don’t bring success - Ideas are important,
but they’re only valuable after they’ve been implemented. One average
idea that’s been put into action is more valuable than a dozen brilliant
ideas that you’re saving for “some other day” or the “right
opportunity”. If you have an idea the you really believe in, do
something about it. Unless you take action it will never go anywhere.
4. Use action to cure fear - Have you ever noticed that the most
difficult part of public speaking is waiting for your turn to speak?
Even professional speakers and actors experience pre-performance
anxiety. Once they get started the fear disappears. Action is the best
cure for fear. The most difficult time to take action is the very first
time. After the ball is rolling, you’ll build confidence and things will
keep getting easier. Kill fear by taking action and build on that
confidence.
5. Start your creative engine mechanically - One of the biggest
misconceptions about creative work is that it can only be done when
inspiration strikes. If you wait for inspiration to slap you in the
face, your work sessions will be few and far between. Instead of
waiting, start your creative motor mechanically. If you need to write
something, force yourself to sit down and write. Put pen to paper.
Brainstorm. Doodle. By moving your hands you’ll stimulate the flow of
ideas and inspire yourself.
6. Think in terms of now - Focus on what you can do in the present
moment. Don’t worry about what you should have done last week or what
you might be able to do tomorrow. The only time you can affect is the
present. If you speculate too much about the past or the future you
won’t get anything done. Tomorrow or next week frequently turns into
never. As Ben Franklin said, “Never put off until tomorrow what you can
do today.”
7. Get down to business immediately - It’s common practice for people to
socialize and make small talk at the beginning of meetings. The same is
true for individual workers. How often do you check email or RSS feeds
before doing any real work? These distractions will cost you serious
time if you don’t bypass them and get down to business immediately. By
becoming someone who gets to the point you’ll be more productive and
people will look to you as a leader.
It takes courage to take action without instructions from the person in
charge. Perhaps that’s why initiative is a rare quality that’s coveted
by managers and executives everywhere. Seize the initiative. Be a
crusader. When you have a good idea, start implementing it without being
told. Once people see you’re serious about getting things done they’ll
want to join in. The people at the top don’t have anyone telling them
what to do. If you want to join them, you should get used to acting
independently.
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