Act

It sounds simple, but how many times have we said we would do something, and then, we don’t. The reasons for not taking action can vary. It can be simple procrastination. Maybe you don’t know how to do something. It could be you’re afraid to do something. Maybe you had a bad day or week and just don’t feel like doing it.

When it comes to procrastination, the single greatest mistake is, I’ll do that tomorrow. Tomorrow comes, and you say it again, I’ll do it tomorrow and tomorrow turns into next week, next week turns into next month and the cycle goes on and you never get started. But I bet you think about it all the time.

If you’re like me and/or others I’ve spoken with about this, you may try to bully yourself into it. The drill instructor mindset takes command, “Get your lazy butt up and get to the gym!” or “Your finances are a mess— get them straightened out!.” The point is, no matter what you’re avoiding doing this self-bullying may generate temporary action, but it’s not an effective long-term strategy.

In fact, according to, Steven C. Hayes, Phd, in his article How to Take Action when you don’t wanna, “Research has found a link between self-criticism and unhealthy, avoidant behavior, like watching TV, playing video games, or overeating.” Bullying makes us dig our heels in. It’s literally keeping us rooted to the spot and we miss the opportunity to move forward.

What if instead we nourished our confidence— acknowledging that our first step may be uncomfortable and a bit wobbly? Think about learning to walk. It’s a monumental change and it isn’t comfortable, but with practice our first wobbly step turns into 2, 3, 10 and eventually, for many, but not all, sprinting joyfully around the yard, feeling the wind on our faces.

In 2024, take time to envision your path forward, record in great detail your intentions, your plans, ideas, obstacles and solutions— then Act! Take that first wobbly step. Just do it! Get out there and do something— anything. It’s infinitely better than doing nothing!