Action
Recently, I attended a careers workshop where the keynote speaker began by asking everyone present to introduce themselves and mention a key ‘strength’ they possess. Most people in the room mentioned some impressive albeit obvious strengths like leadership and problem-solving to name a few. However, one lady, in particular, piqued my interest with her succinct yet potent response. She responded confidently and unequivocally, “I’m a Doer”.
Studies infer broadly that the dichotomy between people that fulfil their potential and those that don’t quite do so can be traced to something as simple as ‘action’. Research by psychologists into the human brain suggests that the average person has approximately 6,200 thoughts in a single day. Of these daily thoughts are some great ideas that could transform our lives if we were to act on them, but regrettably, most people don’t. Fascinatingly, I’ve become increasingly curious as to why some people are able to take initiative and act, while others (myself included) are challenged by underlying inertia.
Richard Branson, a serial and relatively successful entrepreneur by most people’s standards often speaks about how he began Virgin Atlantic. Whilst on a trip to the British Virgin Islands to see his then-girlfriend, he had a stop-over in Miami where his connecting flight was initially delayed and then cancelled. A cancelled flight for many of us inspires frustration and anger, and for Mr Branson, it was no different. Disappointed like everyone else that had had their travel plans obstructed, he pondered on a possible solution to the conundrum. Stranded at an airport, the idea occurred to him like it could have occurred to the other people stuck in the same airport - “How about if I chattered a private plane?”. While most people would often do nothing in such circumstances, Mr Branson made a phone call to inquire about a private chatter - He took initiative. Realising the cost and unable to afford it by himself, he calculated the cost per seat and wrote on a borrowed blackboard as a joke, “Virgin Airlines one-way: $39 to the Virgin Islands”. He then went around the airport as a human billboard advertising it to everyone else that was stranded. Some people bought into it, and they all managed to take the chattered flight to their destination. Upon arrival, he recalls somebody saying “sharpen up your service a bit and you could be in the airline business”. So when he returned home, he drew on the experience, decided to rent a Boeing, and Virgin Atlantic was born. The rest, as they say, is history.
Ever thought of a great idea that you’re still dwelling on? Well, I’m sorry to break it to you - “Having a great idea means nothing if we don’t act on it”. There is a huge difference between a great dormant idea and the one you act upon. As the German psychologist Michael Frese suggests, developing a ‘doer’ mindset is a precursor to proactivity becoming second nature. In his words, “action is the active ingredient”. While inertia can be attributed to learned habits like procrastination and perfectionism, proactivity can also be a learned habit. Frese’s teachings centre on always linking ideas to action, a concept termed the action cycle where one is trained to consciously act on every idea until it becomes habitual. The world is full of people with incredibly brilliant ideas and huge potential who never act on their dreams. Therefore, my charge to Self and You the reader is to dream, but more importantly - “to Do”.
Remember - “Dreams don’t work unless you take action”. The surest way to make your dreams come true is to live them - Roy T. Bennett.
Peace, Love & Light