Today's Challenge:
I once received a fortune cookie that read: "Speak less of your plans, you'll get more done." What's one project that you've been sitting on and thinking about but haven't made progress on? What's stopping you? What would happen if you actually went for it and did it?
Today's entry:
I think we've covered the project angle pretty well the past few days, but that fortune cookie caught my eye. I've mentioned that I'm a fan of ridiculously ambitious plans (a side effect of my delusions of grandeur, no doubt). Unfortunately, I also have a history of talking these plans up, speaking more and ultimately doing less.
My motives have been genuine – it's not so much about showing off as hoping that, if I say the plans out loud, they're more likely to become true. It's also a desperate attempt at accountability. Unfortunately, when it backfires, that pre-project announcement makes the failure all the worse. Now, I'm a fraud, and everyone knows it.
So, I tried keeping quiet for a while, and just doing the work. Instead of pre-announcing my ambition, I talked about my successes as they came, and it worked. Right or wrong, talking was ultimately only making me feel worse.
I'm not sure that's right for everyone – sometimes, we do have to get other people involved, for support and accountability. For me, though, my proclamations were just setting me up for an even higher fall. I had to put something into action, no matter how small.
In a way, that was the motivation behind this blog. What if, instead of grand plans and bold speeches, I just spent 30 minutes/day working? Where would I be after 30 days? Some days, laying down a few bricks is worth more than drafting an amazing blueprint.
