
their businesses. The majority are actively seeking ways to make things better. No one I’ve met honestly believes that sitting around hoping for the best is the secret to achieving better results. But faced with these facts, I’m surprised to observe how little actually gets done—how rare it is to see definitive action in pursuit of specific goals. What is it that holds us back from the DOING? I’ve discovered a few common answers to this question:
"I don’t know what to do / how to get started."
If this is the case (and no one likes to admit it), start by asking yourself where to find the information you need. Who can you ask? Then get started on finding a solution. Stop sitting there waiting for answers to fall on your head like Newton’s apple.
Everything but DOING.
Talking isn't action. Planning isn't doing. Knowing what to do is only useful if you apply that knowledge. Making decisions isn't the same as getting something done. Ideas are great, but
it’s only when ideas get implemented that anything really changes.
Lack of focus.
You’ve got 1000 answers; one’s got to be right. Now you just need to try each one—just not all at once. Trying to do 1000 things at the same time means none of them will get done well. In fact, evidence proves that attempting to focus on any more than 2-3 important goals at once actually decreases your chances of executing any of them.
So what’s the answer to effectively taking the actions that lead to the
results you’re after? If you want the future to be better than the present, you
have to start working on it immediately. Remember: What you’re chasing is better
than, not optimal. Your mission is to do something today that's better than what
you did yesterday. Then do something tomorrow that's better than what you did
today. The real secret is that doing something requires…doing something!