If you are struggling making progress on your goals, ask if you tend to focus on one — learning or doing — rather than both. Do you drift easier towards one side of the scale verses the other? The the side you tip to is your procrastination zone.
The Learner:
Too much learning and not enough doing means you aren’t applying what you’re learning and you aren’t working on the tasks that will get you where you want to go. You instead are avoiding. Put down the book, cancel that seminar. Now go make that phone call, design that prototype, write that press release, crunch those numbers. Put into practice what you’ve been learning. Try. If this is hard then you are dealing with our old friend fear. Fear that you will look silly or mess up or not do it perfect, or worst still… FAIL. Lower your expectations of perfection and try anyway. As you DO that self-talk of self-doubt will start to change to self-confidence. Trust yourself to use the skills you’ve been learning. Psych yourself up. You can DO it! Go forth and get something DONE.
The Doer:
Too much doing and not enough learning means you might be spinning your wheels and not getting where you really want to go. Allow yourself to see the big picture and formulate a road map. As you stop and reflect, you will realize there are questions you have and those questions are scary. How will you ever find the answers. Doing for the sake of doing is another way to avoid what you don’t know. No need to be embarrassed. There are no stupid questions. Start by writing down the questions that arise while you are still and quiet and NOT DOING. Just write them all down. No judgement. Now refer back to your road map. One of those questions will stir more stress than another. Focus on that one first. Now google that question. Read, research, LEARN. Make notes. Keep reading and seeking until you feel good about what you have learned. Until you realize your question is answered. This answered question will most likely create more questions and that is the idea. Keep on keeping on.
The Summation:
Learners don’t get going and Doers don’t know where they’re going.
The Fix:
Doers — allow yourself pauses and time to reflect.
Learners — allow yourself a chance to get something done.
Get out of the comfort zone you tend to hang out in and find that balance of learning and doing. Results will not be far behind.
Balance is allowing time and space to be both a learner and a doer. We need to have both to reach our destinations. We must learn the things we don’t know; and, yet, do the what needs to get done.
Only then can we call ourselves Achievers!