Lately, I feel like I’m writing to myself. Today is a good case in point. I’m the one with the excuses. I’m the one who has a hundred reasons for not doing the things that I say are important to me. So, I’m the one who needs to hear the firm command, “Enough with the excuses. Just do it already!
What about you? What is that you keep saying you want to do, you need to do, and you’re going to do that you never do? Is there a new product idea that you want to launch? Are you trying to get fit or lose weight? Do you think you should write a book or change your career?
As many people as there are in the world, I bet there are as many unfulfilled dreams. The dreams go unfulfilled because of a lack of confidence and submission to the various forces of resistance in our lives.
People say, “If it is important to you, then you’ll do it.” They also say, “Obviously, it isn’t important to you, or you’d do it.”
I think that is an easy thing to say. But, it ignores the reality that sometimes we sacrifice even the most valuable things in our lives because of our emotions and the various influences that corrupt our convictions.
Think about the alcoholic who destroys his marriage, family, and career. Then he takes his own life out of despair over losing the things that were most important to him.
Sometimes, our lack of confidence and fear of failure will sabotage us. The answer isn’t becoming more confident or fighting our fears. The answer is doing the work we want to do and putting it out there in the world to make the world a better place.
Do you want to write a book? Then get up every day and write, whether you feel like it or not.
Do you want to get fit? Then get up every day and work out and eat healthy whether you feel like it or not.
Do you want to get a better job? Then go out and find it or work every day to gain the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to earn it…whether you feel like it or not.
These are words I must preach to me. They are the swift kick in the pants that I need to get going. How about you? Are you ready to do the work and ship it to the world whether you feel like it or not?
When I push “publish” on this post, I’ll have done that very thing. It may be terrible, but I’ll ship it anyway!