Why You Should Do The Thing

Channel the courage of a toddler to take action, and a wobbly step forward

It’s Monday. Shudder.

Welcome back to The Deal Space where business isn’t just a game - it’s a full contact sport.

We have one big purpose here - to win more or learn trying.

Today’s Topic: Mindset, Motivation

Reading time: ~2 minutes

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Today At a Glance:

• How life rewards action, not intelligence.

• Why the things you want will take work and are always within your grasp.

• How to move forward…even if you’re wobbly.

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Do The Thing

“Life rewards action, not intelligence.

Many brilliant people talk themselves out of getting started, and being smart doesn't help very much without the courage to act.

You can't win if you're not in the game."

James Clear

Maybe you need to hear this today, and maybe you don’t.

I wrote it down because I’ve been saying it to myself over and over and over. Because I need to hear it constantly.

This is for you if you need some razzle with your dazzle, some starch in your collar, some whiskey in your coffee.

If you don’t need these things, then this is not for you, and you should click away now.

If you’re still with me then strap in and hold on.

There is no such thing as too hard.

There is only work, toil, blood, sweat, tears, late nights, early mornings, frustration, failure, discontent, and effort.

Hands up, who thought this was going to be easy?

OK, good, then you knew it would be hard.

And this is what hard feels like.

You must take action.

The things you want are just a few deliberate actions away.

It’s probable that it will take hours. It’s almost certain it will take more hours than you think.

Make peace with this and start.

Every action you take today is a vote for who you want to be in the future.

What are you resisting?

Resistance is a sonofabitch.

It will whisper in your ear that you should be comfortable. To stay in your warm bed. That easy equals freedom.

Resistance will drag you down into the depths of mediocrity and bury you there to stay.

I don’t know what you are resisting most today - it’s likely that’s the exact thing that you should go and do.

No decision is a decision.

How do you move forward?

One step at a time.

One foot in front of the other.

Do we scold a 12-month-old baby for falling over? No! We cheer and encourage every single attempt and wobbling step.

When did the courage that we had back then get replaced with fear, anxiety, reluctance and doubt?

You must choose to do the thing.

Talking about doing the thing isn’t doing the thing.

Writing the thing on a to do list isn’t doing the thing.

Listening to me tell you to do the thing isn’t doing the thing.

Where to from here?

I think you know.

Take action and do the thing.

If you do the thing today - send me a message and let me know.

If you’re struggling to do the thing today - send me a message and I’ll help.

References

Discipline Equals Freedom, Field Manual, Jocko Willink (2017)

The War of Art, Steven Pressfield (2002)

Things that aren’t doing the thing, STRANGEST LOOP (read it here)