Just do it.
My mantra for 2024? Just do it. Don’t mistake it for a nod to the Nike swoosh; it’s a personal confession – I have a real preference for action.
In my world, I navigate two types of client cases. The high functioning one aiming to maintain or scale their success, and the crisis cases. Rarely is there an in between. I can confidently say that the difference between the two types of cases is directly linked to action.
If you want a different outcome, you have to behave differently. Simple in theory, right? Yet, you and I both know that behaving differently is anything but simple. Through my observations of organizations and the professionals within them, I’ve identified barriers to behavior change that might sound familiar:
Fatigue: “I’m too tired to make a change.”
Uncertainty: “I don’t know how to make a change.”
Desire: “The discomfort of unhappiness doesn’t outweigh the discomfort of change and so I don’t want to change.”
Fear: “I am afraid of asking for help. I am afraid of change. I am afraid of letting go. I am afraid I am not good enough, smart enough, resilient enough to change.”
Ego: “I don’t need to change- other people do.”
Excuses, right? My go-to excuse for not acting is fear. Fear that my idea isn’t good enough, strong enough, sustainable enough. So, I marinate on it, letting an idea sit idle under the guise of not wanting to waste time. The last thing I want is to do something differently only to find out it’s not better.
But if I want a different outcome and recognize I am making excuses, how do I get over it?
Just do it.
In my fear of taking two steps forward only to take one step back I have overlooked one crucial fact—even when I take two steps forward and one step back—I am still taking one step forward.
That one step forward is an important one. It is the first step out of where you are and in the direction of something new. It breaks the pattern of behavior. It is progress. It is action. And around here, we have a real preference for action. Because action creates change. And change creates growth. And growth ensures success.
So, this year – the mantra is simple: Just do it.
Just take the job.
Just plan the event.
Just pull the band aid off.
Just say “No, thank you.”
Just celebrate the small wins.