As one corporate leader put it, there are many qualified, experienced and busy people, but one important ingredient that is frequently missing is the ability to get the right things done, to get results. Every organisation requires people who think about results and take action on them. A good idea that is carried out is far superior to a great idea that is not carried out. Similarly, rather than simply acting and being busy, if you can act correctly, the results will follow. You must understand that nothing can be obtained simply by thinking about it. It does not imply that thinking is unimportant; however, you must think in terms of results, and that thinking must be focused, accurate, and quick in order to guide you to a reliable decision and action plan. If you take the right actions, you can set yourself apart from the crowd. This is true for both your individual and organisational performance.
Developing action habits has numerous advantages. When you take a small action, a “baby step” in the right direction, you will see results that will boost your confidence, give you a sense of inner security, and give you more energy to take the next step. Even if you do not achieve the desired results, the lessons learned in your first action step will assist you in improving your overall plan and achieving the desired results. That is far superior to simply pondering the implications.
On the other hand, if you spend all of your time over thinking, waiting for the perfect moment, and fearing failure, you will not accomplish anything and will lose self-confidence, feel stagnant, destroy your self-confidence, and attract more negative energy.
Waiting for perfect conditions might be costly.
It is critical to avoid the costly mistake of waiting until the conditions are ideal. Expect future obstacles, problems, uncertainties, and difficulties and proceed anyway. Of course, you can eliminate as many risks as possible, but not all. Avoid over thinking and adjust your mindset to meet problems and obstacles as they arise. When problems arise, you should be able to solve them. If you examine every successful outcome around you, you will notice that they did not begin in an ideal environment. Consider your car or your home. I’m sure you started them with little money. Of course, you may have encountered difficulties in repaying your loans in the middle, but you managed to overcome them. Consider the professional examination you passed. You can now be a professional or a senior manager because of it. Can you imagine thinking the day before the examination that you weren’t ready to face it? However, you decided to face it. Sometimes you passed examination in the first time. Even if you failed the first time, the experience may have helped you pass the second attempt. If you did not face the examination in the second attempt, the experience and lessons learned may have helped you in the life at some point. Similarly, you can consider starting everything without waiting for the ideal moment. Because a perfect moment will never come, it is critical that you begin them at the appropriate time. It is critical to think in terms of the present moment. Tomorrow, next week, or later will never result in perfect conditions. As a result, if you are a leader, do not wait for the perfect moment to introduce new systems to increase productivity, or to do training to bring your employees to the next level, or to change your culture, but start now.
Myth of perfect outcome
You can be a perfectionist at times, wanting everything to be perfect. However, keep in mind that perfectionism is a subjective concept. Things that are perfect for you may not be perfect for others. So you should be able to set realistic goals and get started right away. Doing something 80% perfect is preferable to not doing it at all. When you do that, it sometimes feels almost perfect. Alternatively, you can solicit feedback and take it to the next level.
Overcome the fear of failure
The greatest risk you can face is not taking a risk. This will become clear to you in the medium to long term. Fear of failure is another reason you don’t take action. It is critical that you learn how to take calculated risks. When you do this, you will realize that your fear of doing something was exaggerated. Inaction feeds and strengthens fear; action feeds and strengthens confidence. So, if you want to overcome fear, you must take action. Wait, put off, and postpone if you want to increase fear. So, if you want to discuss a sensitive issue with your boss but are concerned about how he will react? Discuss it and learn how to overcome your fears. So, if you want to change the culture of your company but are unsure whether it is possible? Just start doing it and see how the worries disappear.
Do not hesitate to seek support
Sometimes a different approach is required to treat the cure for inaction. You may be able to collaborate with someone who has complementary strengths or different experience and exposure to you. Some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs have done this. That collaboration can spur action. The important thing is to find someone with complementary skills or experience. It is pointless to collaborate with people who are similar to you. At the same time, you can hire someone with specialized skills that are related to the actions and outcomes you desire. He or she will bring valuable experience, contacts, and skills that your current team may lack. On the other hand, you can hire a coach, trainer, or consultant to assist you with your business. He may bring a wealth of experience working with multiple clients to assist you and your company in developing action habits and achieving results.
(The writer is an Expert Trainer and Coach on Mindset Mastery, Motivation, Management, Leadership, and Organisational Transformation. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Project Management Professional, a Management Consultant and a Senior Lecturer attached to the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Moratuwa)
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