Do you find yourself constantly talking about projects you want to do yet fail to ever follow through?
Are you all talk and no action?
Here are a few ways to help turn that situation around.
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Watch what you talk about
Let’s deal with the talking part first.
If you aren’t one to follow through it might be a good idea to stop talking about all of the things you are going to do.
This doesn’t mean you can’t dream, plan and work towards them, it might just mean keeping an idea to yourself until you actually start doing something about it.
Get the project up and running then shout it from the rooftops!
You might be wondering what’s the harm in talking about stuff. If you constantly talk about things you are going to do yet never deliver, people might start to lose faith in you.
People might stop taking you seriously when you start talking about your plans. While you are talking about your plans, they might be thinking something along the lines of – It will never happen. I’ve heard it all before.
This sort of behavior can tarnish you on both a professional and personal level.
Related post – Should You Keep Your Goals to Yourself?
Stop talking about stuff you don’t really want to do
Let’s be honest, some people like talking about doing things but have no real urge to do them. It’s the talking part that attracts them in the first place. Talking can make us sound good.
Traveling is a perfect example. People say they would like to visit certain places but even with ample time and money on their hands, they choose to do something else.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of the above. Daydreaming is fun, creative, and harmless. If you love to daydream, find someone who you can daydream with.
My only thought here is that you might want to be selective about who you chose to talk about your daydreaming with. If you are constantly talking about stuff you want to do (but not really) you might be frustrating people who are actually doing them or have real plans to do them.
Pick one project to focus on
People talk about doing a lot of different things but have a hard time picking one to start with.
This can be a result of having too many choices. Too much choice can be dangerous, we end up choosing nothing.
If you are a naturally gifted multipotential you may be brilliant at taking on a variety of big projects all at once and getting them all finished on time. I take my hat off to you if you fit into that category.
For the rest of us, my advice is to pick one major project and focus on seeing that through from start to finish.
Start and Finish
Sounds so easy when it’s written in those two little words doesn’t it? Start – Finish what could be easier?
Oh, how I wish it were that simple.
Some people find the starting particularly hard. Personally, I am good at starting but sometimes struggle with finishing. For me, finishing is the hardest part.
Pick which one you have the most problem with and throw all of your efforts into overcoming that particular challenge. The best way to work through any demons you have with starting and finishing is by taking action.
I would love to tell you there was some other way but there’s not. Give yourself the thrill and satisfaction of finishing what you start and that will motivate you to go after more of the same.
Addictions are usually bad but it might be a good idea to get addicted to starting and finishing.
Related post – Are You Ready to Take Action?
Do the work
This is what puts some people off completely.
We might like the idea of launching our book, blog, or business and all of the attention and interest it generates but we quickly realize that there is a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in between the starting, finishing, and launching.
We have to do the actual work part.
Let’s imagine we are talking about writing a book here. It’s hard work. It’s hour after hour, week after week (sometimes year after year) of sitting down and doing the work. It takes time, time that many people would prefer to be doing something else.
It can be frustrating, maddening, and hard and that’s before all the panicking it’s not good enough kicks in!
Hardly the glamorous picture some people have in their heads.
Come to terms with the amount of work required.
Related post – 16 Reasons You Are Not Achieving Your Goals
Look at the big picture
Time management experts say that to complete a massive project, you need to break it down into smaller tasks and then systematically work through each of those tasks.
So you break your project down into what appears to be manageable tasks and off you go. Except for one small thing.
Breaking a project down scares the shit out of some people because they realize just how much hard work is really involved.
It scares them into doing nothing.
If you are more of a big picture person start with the big picture. Eventually, you will have to break the task down but if you have already started and gotten some momentum, hopefully, that will be enough to fend off any debilitating fear or overwhelm and allow you to keep going.
Watch out for tinkering
If you are a writer or blogger you probably cringed a bit reading that headline. Tinkering means endless additions, rewrites, and editing.
I struggled with this problem when I was writing my eBook. I kept making changes and completely missed my deadline.
Tinkering can mean not finishing.
If you allow it to, tinkering can go on forever. You need to get yourself to the point where you can say – It’s done.
If you are a perfectionist, you might have to make peace with the phrase – It’s good enough.
To do what you want to do and be who you want to be there is no other way than to take action and to stick with your project until it is completed.
Do you suffer from all talk and no action? If so what is the one task you can do right now to move forward?
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Read Next – 12 Ways to Show Up For Yourself
This is something I suffer from Thea. It’s much easier to talk than to take action. One of those things that I’ve talked about but haven’t launched is a membership site.
My partner and I meet regularly to talk about it but we stumble on the launch. We’ve got to take action on our idea though and actually launch it. Otherwise it’s pointless.
Hi Joe
Thanks for your great comment, it’s always so lovely to see you!
I totally understand you stumbling on the launch. Though my biggest problem is finishing my ebook, I do worry about the launching part as well which unfortunately doesn’t help with the writing motivation side of things. While I am writing I am constantly thinking about how am I going to set up a shopping cart and do marketing and about a thousand other questions i don’t have answers to yet, which of course all take away from the writing process itself.
I wish you and your partner well with launching your membership site. I will be thinking of you and cheering you on at this end. 🙂
As always lovely to see you here and I look forward to talking again soon.
Cheers
Thea
I look for inspiration externally, sometimes I find it in books or movies. One of my favorites is author Seth Godin’s Lynchpin. Awesome book on how to get uncomfortable and make a difference at work, home or in the community.
Another thing I do is get a buddy to be accountable to. We challenge each other and keep asking everyday “how is it going”.
Stuart.
Hi Stuart
Thanks for your comment, great to see you here. I love that you have a buddy to be accountable to, that’s a great idea so that you can keep each other motivated. Amazingly enough I haven’t read any of Seth Godin’s books yet (though I do read his blog occasionally). I will have to put Lynchpin on my reading list. I have looked at a few of his books but not been quite sure which one to start with first so your recommendation is much appreciated.
It was lovely to see you here and look forward to next time.
Cheers
Thea