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Waiting Angrily - Let's Talk ACTION!

A post of a ranting nature...

Devampre

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Perhaps "angrily" is a tad dramatic. But, I was listening to some deathcore, drinking an energy drink going through completing a client's website, when suddenly I realized that I need a special API key... So, long story short, I'm waiting on an email before I can move forward. :rage:

On the positive side, this little break gave me some extra time to read and reflect on my thoughts at this early stage of my business. So, I was thinking about what I can do to change to get to my next goal faster? Why am I at A and not at B yet? What is within my control that I could change and see significant improvement? And then I realized that I knew what it was... ACTION!

Problem
  • Action Taking - There are times I find myself not taking the necessary actions or even slipping into a rut. Delaying my progress and causing me to not live up to my potential.
Now, I want to give my current thoughts on a potential solution for this predicament of inaction. And I'd like to hear your solutions as well as I am not yet all knowing ;).

Solution
  • Taking action is something that I've read into from numerous perspectives. But right now, there are two things running through my head on how to solve this. One is from Straight-Line Leadership by Dusan Djukich, in which he writes something to the effect that confidence and good feelings come from decisive action and that thinking/waiting until you will be ready will do the opposite. The second thing comes from a video of Dan Pena I had watched about a week ago, in which he said something along the lines of "You should metaphorically kill yourself." I interpret this advice a little out of context of the original video and use it as a way to separate whatever bullshit identity I believe I have that I don't like (in this case, not taking action because I'm afraid or lazy or whatever.) And envisioning that self then commiting seppukku or something to that effect. I believe through time I may be able to shift to an identity where I will not feel this "rut" of inaction as frequently or at all.

So what are your thoughts? Do you struggle with taking action at times?
 
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jon.M

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Taking massive action, or whatever buzzterm the gurus use nowadays, is overrated. Taking the right actions is overlooked. But often, the first eventually leads to the second.
 

MHP368

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Is the voice in your head just procrastination or does it make excuses for the inaction? Its the same enemy either way but your habitual way of encountering it probably lends clues to how best fight it right?
 

Devampre

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Taking massive action, or whatever buzzterm the gurus use nowadays, is overrated. Taking the right actions is overlooked. But often, the first eventually leads to the second.

Well, I did not intend "taking action" as some type of copy ploy to sway people to buy something from me lol. However, I do agree that "massive action" sounds like overrated buzz, but I don't intend to fallback on some feel good action faking. For me it's about knowing that I did everything in my power to accomplish what best serves my goals. I mean taking decisive action, not busywork.

Is the voice in your head just procrastination or does it make excuses for the inaction? Its the same enemy either way but your habitual way of encountering it probably lends clues to how best fight it right?

I feel that it's more so just procrastination due to uncertainty and I'm sometimes demotivated due to my current situation rather than focusing on the long game.
 
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MHP368

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I feel that it's more so just procrastination due to uncertainty and I'm sometimes demotivated due to my current situation rather than focusing on the long game.

So what exact things do you say to yourself right before you procrastinate or lose focus?
 

Devampre

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So what exact things do you say to yourself right before you procrastinate or lose focus?

That's kind of the problem, I don't say anything really. It's like a semi-conscious move. I think of it as taking a break and during this "break" I then find myself distracted.
 

MHP368

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So what do you do on break?

Make taking a break harder than not.

If its the phone turn it on airplane mode and shut it off.

Xbox? Unplug it and the tv.

Snack break? Have that handled before ypu start.

Make it more difficult to give in to resistance than it would be to continue so that you start winning that split second fight with yourself.

What are your daily routines like? Do you have a morning ritual in place?
 
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dauntless

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It's so easy to get distracted and lose focus. You need to find ways to keep your focus intact. I have ADHD and I get constantly bored. Before, I would try to do something productive then jump into doing something else, or focus on a task then derail my focus on a different task without completing the first one.
So, what worked for me to maintain focus and taking action into finishing a task is to use the timer on my Apple Watch, I gave myself an hour to finish a task before jumping into the next one. The first few tries were failures since I would end up distracting myself again. BUT, eventually, I realized that this method allowed me to be so productive that I was seeing the benefits of it and ended up with having a lot of spare time for other activities. It was better for me to take action on the productive stuff to reward myself with the free time for anything else. Not doing so, sets me up to working longer hours and frustration and lack of interest took me back to procrastination.
 

Devampre

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So what do you do on break?

Make taking a break harder than not.

If its the phone turn it on airplane mode and shut it off.

Xbox? Unplug it and the tv.

Snack break? Have that handled before ypu start.

Make it more difficult to give in to resistance than it would be to continue so that you start winning that split second fight with yourself.

What are your daily routines like? Do you have a morning ritual in place?

My breaks are usually:

a) tackling the easy stuff on my "to do" list (I use Trello and a Get Things Done type format to organize.)
b) answering emails, friends, family, girls, etc
c) consuming content via reading/watching videos

Consistent daily routines, morning rituals, and better habits are definately all things that I do need to change. Better self discipline, accountability for every hour I spend will help me in the long term.
 

dauntless

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My breaks are usually:

a) tackling the easy stuff on my "to do" list (I use Trello and a Get Things Done type format to organize.)
b) answering emails, friends, family, girls, etc
c) consuming content via reading/watching videos

Consistent daily routines, morning rituals, and better habits are definately all things that I do need to change. Better self discipline, accountability for every hour I spend will help me in the long term.
I've started waking up at 5 am every day and committing to do as much as I can until noon and call it a day. It really works.
 
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Devampre

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I've started waking up at 5 am every day and committing to do as much as I can until noon and call it a day. It really works.

My problem was staying up all night thinking I was putting in more hours. But, as a result it gave me really messed up sleep patterns. I am going to stick to a new schedule this coming week.

I'll be using google calendar for now, but I might also buy myself a little calendar agenda book of some sort.
 

MitchM

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My current business is Phoenix Planner, which helps you get clear on your vision for your future (get excited and also afraid of what will happen if you fall through on your commitments), set actionable goals, and work towards them on a daily basis.

Something I’ve worked with a lot of customers on is this same issue, which admittedly can run deeper than just having a strong vision of your future (but is a great place to start.)

I’m actually working on something to help solve this artificially as a side project since I’m currently working on a new product.

I say this all to leverage my next suggestion:

Get an accountability partner and put your money where your mouth is.

Make commitments to doing things on certain days and say “I’ll send you 10,50, or 100 bucks if I don’t.”

Your accountability partner just needs to agree to do the same thing - meaning this person needs to be ambitious.

This gives you both a social incentive (very powerful) and financial incentive to do what you know you need to do.

The problem that many entrepreneurs face is that we simply don’t have anyone that we’re accountable to and the looming threats of failure to execute simply don’t feel real enough.
 

dauntless

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My problem was staying up all night thinking I was putting in more hours. But, as a result it gave me really messed up sleep patterns. I am going to stick to a new schedule this coming week.

I'll be using google calendar for now, but I might also buy myself a little calendar agenda book of some sort.
Me too, I used to be a night owl for so long that I realized that it was creating more problems than solving them. I love working during the night but being an early bird has been more beneficial.
 
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MHP368

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I think phoenix is on the right track here , if your breaks arent really breaks (at worst a little socialization) then maybe just plotting out the day first thing in the morning would be fruitful.

Id also recommend a pomodoro technique app , pomodoro got me through nursing school. Go ahead and take the breaks just take them in a structured manner.
 

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