As I mentioned last week, the team and I read a book together each quarter, and then recap it together…
This quarter we’re reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.
I can’t speak highly enough about the book, it has probably been one the best books I’ve read on habit change, which is what we’re all trying to do.
The outcomes we’re looking for are all the result of our current behaviors, and our current behaviors are made up of our current habits.
So, it makes sense if we want to make any changes, (fitness, productivity, social, financial, etc), we first must change our habits.
As I eluded to last week, there are several golden concepts that I’ll share that really stood out to me, and the one I wanted to share today is the difference between being in motion and taking action.
At the surface, they sound similar.
Being in motion is a good thing, right?
Ehh, as always, it depends.
Being in motion means you’re planning, learning, and strategizing.
Those are all good things, but they don’t produce a result.
Here are some examples of being in motion…
Outling goals for 2020
Answering e-mail
In search of a better diet plan
Researching the best gym for me
Studying for a presentation or test
Those are all great things, but they will never produce the result we’re looking for.
In turn, we have to ask ourself what is the action we’re going after?
If searching for a better diet plan is motion, actually eating healthy meals is action.
If preparing for a presentation is motion, delivering the presentation is action.
Now, motion is useful at times, we just can’t get caught up in all motion (picture a spinning wheel), and no action (wheel rolling forward).
It’s a slipper slope…
We often spend more time in motion because motion makes us feel like we’re making progress, without running the risk of failure.
Boom!
That’s it right there.
Let me say that again…
We often spend more time in motion because motion makes us feel like we’re making progress, without running the risk of failure.
Taking action in fitness means showing up at the gym, and that means we might feel stupid, we might not know what to do, or we might not get the results we’re looking for.
So we just spend more time in motion researching.
Taking action in a presentation or project means delivering it, producing it, and that means you’re on stage, you’re up for critics, and you might feel stupid.
So we just spend more time in motion preparing and researching.
Motion makes you feel like you’re getting things done.
But really, you’re just preparing to get something done.
When preparation becomes a form of procrastination, you need to change something.
Oh, another great one liner I took from the book.
If you’re struggling to go from motion to action there are two things you can do:
Set a schedule for your actions
I’m going to show up at the gym Monday, Wednesday, Friday
I’m going to publish an article on Monday and Thursday
Pick a date to shift from motion to action
Setting a schedule works for reoccurring things, like working out. But what about what time things like writing a book, releasing a product, or submitting a major project?
These require planning up front, but set yourself a date, a deadline, that you announce publicly. Now you can’t spend all the time in motion, you need to produce, you need to take action.
Motion will never produce a final result.
Action will.
When you’re in motion, you’re planning and strategizing and learning. Those are all good things, but they don’t produce a result.
Are you doing something? Or are you just preparing to do it?
Are you in motion? Or are you taking action?
1% Better.
Dedicated To Your Success,
Doug Spurling