This is a guest post by none other than Walt Hampton.
One of my fondest memories from my early years as a young single dad is of watching my boy, clad in his yellow slicker and red rubber boots, stomping in the puddles, standing in the rain. He always liked being out in the ‘mess’ of it all. Still does, I dare say.
Being out in the mess, of course, is where the action is; where it’s all happening; where our lives unfold.
Not in the house; not where it’s warm; not where it’s dry and safe.
Out there. Out on the field.
Out where it’s rough and tumble and muddy.
Out where it’s cold and wet… Out where we might get hurt.
It’s always interesting when coaching clients come to me with things they say they want to do: projects they say want to pursue; goals they say they want to achieve; and these ‘things’ they say they want to do have lived in their heads, in their minds and in their hearts… often for years… decades sometimes… as thoughts… as hopes … as ideas… as wishes.
Of course, all great things start in our minds and hearts. There wouldn’t be an electric light bulb or Sistine Chapel or car or democracy or computer or iPhone were it not for an idea that once lived only in someone’s consciousness.
The tricky part is that next step.
The tricky part is getting out there and doing something.
The tricky part is: Taking Action.
There’s a reason that comfort zones are called that…. They’re pretty damn comfy. Not much is at risk. It’s easy imagining a new relationship or a fresh career. It’s fun to think about being a published author or an award-winning photographer. The idea of an advanced degree or a successful business is alluring… and exciting.
Doing the work: That’s messy.
And overwhelming.
We fear discomfort. We fear failure. We fear criticism. We fear judgment.
We fear change.
We fear success.
And our fears keep us small. They keep us ‘safe’ in the warm, comfy, cozy house that is our mind.
As long as we entertain ourselves with the ideas, as long as we pretend that we’re going to get to it… someday… as long as we delude ourselves that, when the time is right, when the ‘conditions’ are right, then somehow fool we ourselves into believing that we’re actually doing something.
Except that we’re not.
And time goes by… and one year dissolves into the next. And the delusion stays just that.
Here’s the truth: It’s NEVER the right time to act. Conditions will NEVER be ideal. The time will NEVER be right.
There will ALWAYS be reasons not pursue your hopes and dreams and aspirations.
And the clock WILL run out.
The time to act is now.
To overcome overwhelm, to combat fear: Take tiny steps. Really tiny steps. If you want to lose weight, work at losing one pound a week. If you want to start a running program, run around the block. If you want to explore a new career, take a one-week workshop. If you want a new degree, take a course, just one course. If you want to write a book, write a page (or half a page) a day.
A pound a week is 50 pounds in twelve months time. A page a day is a pretty hefty book in a year.
And how fast a year flies by.
Consistency is key. Staying at it… every day… no matter what. Braving the cold, the wet, the fear, the judgment, the discomfort.
My friend Pete Winiarski wrote a great book called Act Now!, a wonderful system for moving forward with your goals. Get his book. Or get a coach. Find an accountability partner. Form a mastermind group. Whatever you need to do to create your ideal life, to make your dreams come true.
Get it out of your head and into your life.
Make it real.
Act out. Now.
