What Didn’t I Do? - Grasshopper

Have you ever asked yourself some form of the question "What did I do to deserve this?" If so, you only asked half the question.

The other half is rarely asked: what didn’t I do?

 

This question does more than employ 2020 hindsight; it challenges us to inspect our habit of inaction.

 

Taking action is a learned skill – one that many of us haven’t fully learned. Do you have a hard time deciding even mundane things? If so, it’s time to get on the movie set and respond to the director’s directive: ACTION!

 

That means to practice making decisions. Set up scenarios in your mind where you have to decide on something. Then pick quick! There’s no risk because there are no wrong choices, just the act of choosing. Once you’ve mastered the quick pick in your imagination, it’s time to take it out for a test ride.

 

Go to the drive-up window at a fast food restaurant and order a hamburger. When they ask you what you want on it, decide quick. It’s a low-risk situation which may get you an unwanted pickle on your burger, but it’s a small price to pay to hone your skills in taking action.

This is not a lesson in becoming rash; it’s more about training yourself to act. What’s the benefit of conditioning this habit? It’s simple arithmetic. The more you act, the more you accomplish.

 

Inaction is the enemy of accomplishment. We can easily see that in the case of the proverbial “couch potato” but we may not notice that it’s standing in the way of us seizing the day.

 

Start slow but continue practicing taking action until it becomes second nature. Not only will you accomplish more with less ado, but you’ll rarely have to ask yourself, “What didn’t I do?”

 

All the best,