Taking Action Wins
Why taking action quickly and often is helpful, and some ways to improve doing more and overthinking less.
To get good at something you have to do it a lot. The general rule is that it takes 10,000 hours to become decent at anything, much less an expert.
I have found that taking action is easier when I think about it less.
The faster I do it, the more I will do it.
The more I do it, the better I become
When I moved from New York to Turin, Italy in 2014, I wanted to become fluent in Italian. To achieve this, I started practicing the language by listening to music, watching movies, and reading. I knew that consistent practice was key, so I made sure to set aside at least 15 minutes each day to practice.
To keep myself motivated, I would always practice in the morning before work, either listening to a podcast on the way to work or reading in the subway. If I couldn't practice in the morning, I would get anxious about missing a day, which motivated me to find those 15 minutes any way I could.
When I arrived in Italy, I was decent enough at Italian to impress a few people, but there were still challenges to overcome. Making phone calls in Italian was especially difficult, but I refused to give up. After almost a decade in Italy, I continue to "eat the frog," which means I make all the family phone calls about bills, schools, reservations, and appointments, and I only rarely ask for help from my Italian partner.
By consistently practicing Italian, I gained confidence in communicating with others and became more self-sufficient in handling Italian communication. This not only saved me time but also gave me a sense of accomplishment that I could do it on my own.
Consistent practice and setting realistic goals has been my superpower.
Here are some tips to help you move more toward action in your own life:
Coaching like this is an integral part of the Clevertech culture and environment.
Get started. NOW!
Simply starting something can have a powerful effect on motivation. The first step is hardest, but once you take it the next ones come easier. One task gives way to the next, pushing you to keep moving until it’s DONE! Set a timer for 5 minutes and see where you get.
Set time limits and stick to them.
Parkinson’s law says that, ‘’work expands to fill the time allotted for it.’’ Block off your time and save your energy.
Trick your mind with invented deadlines
Our minds are powerful, when we know we have an appointment to get to in the afternoon, we feel pressure to get our important work finished in the morning. If we could create that same pressure, even on days with no afternoon engagement, it might open up afternoon productivity and creativity.
Eat the frog.
Get the least appealing task out of the way first and the day can only get better! Frontloading the day allows us to tackle the hardest things with the most energy so we can get to the important and enjoyable things!
Prioritize action over planning.
Whatever you are afraid of, confront it and it will no longer be there to torment you. Planning is necessary, but action is what builds confidence. Go and do it!
Enjoy your new found time.
Now you can slow down and enjoy a mindful meal, a long run, or whatever brings you joy with the time you just created by thinking less and doing more.
Task Management Apps - are they worth it?
When we polled the developers at Clevertech, some were in favor of task management apps and others felt they took up too much time and simply using a todo list or the notes app was sufficient.
What is your opinion? Do task management apps HELP with productivity, or become a time suck in and of themselves?
Question: It can be tough to unlock someone who is stuck and doesn’t take action. If that was you at some time, what was it that finally got you moving?
A great set of tips. You're right there is a huge value in just starting. And once you start it's often not as frog-like as you expect.
I've found it hardest to start a task. Sometimes I avoid a task for days. If I can just work on it for even 10 seconds, I find it's easier to keep going. That first minute is the hardest minute of my life, and it keeps reappearing multiple times a day. Just more opportunities to practice overcoming it...