How to take action
Does the flower bloom because it has willpower?
Is it because of habit?
Did it skip one day because it didn’t feel like it?
No, it just acts and blooms.
Does the Earth rotate because it’s motivated to do so?
Did it think it through before it started rotating?
No, it just acts and rotates around its axis.
What about superior beings like you?
Can you motivate yourself to not hear sounds?
Did you think before you came into this life?
Did you wake up today because you have willpower?
No, you just act, either consciously or subconsciously.
Action teaches you what works and what doesn’t.
Even if it won’t work, you will know it instead of reading about it.
This is ten times better.
You know how to take action.
You know what you have to do.
Stop making excuses.
When you’re looking for ways on how to take action,
how to hype yourself,
you’re too comfortable.
Get up and start doing.
You’re not responsible for the world,
you’re only responsible for your work.
You don’t need guidance from me or anyone else.
You don’t need to read another article or watch another video.
You don’t need motivation, inspiration, meaning, habits, discipline, passion.
You know how to take action.
It’s in your nature.
Remember the flower blooming.
How to start, continue, and finish
To start losing weight, walk for ten minutes. The next day walk five minutes more. Keep it up for a month. Then introduce short sprints in your walks. Stick to the basics. Think about what you can remove. Eliminate sugar and processed junk. Eat only what rots. Stop eating after 7 pm. Eat less frequently with intermittent fasting.
To start any creative pursuit like writing, drawing, or music, start with the most basic task which if removed, you’d remain with nothing. Do this elementary task for a month before adding more advanced techniques. Limit your information input (less research) to avoid overwhelming yourself. Focus on quantity not on quality at the beginning.
To continue something, remind yourself of when you started. You already have the power in you to continue doing it. Don’t look at the finish line. Ignore the outcome. Focus only on the process. Break down the task into its atomic components and continue executing them, daily.
To finish something, you have to share it. Share the photo. Sell the product. Release the song. Publish your notes after reading a book. Share your creation with the world.
Deadlines are cheat codes. Use them to force yourself to finish something and release it. Have an accountability partner or use Beeminder.
If you are a perfectionist, remember nothing anyone ever did or will do is perfect. Discard this limiting but convenient belief that it needs to be perfect from the first try. Share before it’s ready. Remember that it’s not finished until you share it first. It’s never going to be perfect, so get it done.
Remember done is better than perfect.