Sometimes it is better to just get on with doing something rather than thinking and planning for too long.
Philip Humbert makes an interesting evaluation of the race for the South Pole by the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott (Scott of the Antartic).
Scott spent days in planning and preparation for the trip whilst Amundsen set off quickly with far less preparation. Not only did Amundsen get to the South Pole first. He arrived back safely.
Scott reached the pole second and was hit by cold weather on his way back. He and his brave band of heroes died eleven miles from their home base. If Scott had set off earlier he might have missed the cold weather on the way back.
Another key factor was Amundsen's reliance on dogs for pulling his sledges; Scott did not use dogs.
I do not entirely agree with Philip Humbert's assessment since Amundsen had already done his preparation some time before his assault on the South Pole. On his successful trip to find the North West passage through the Arctic seas north of Canada some years before, he had spent over a year living with the Inuit.
They showed him important tips like how to coat the runners of his sledges with ice so that they would slide easily over the snow and help the dogs to make fast progress.
He learned on the job and not by reading and planning from a distance and he did prepare in the best way possible in the type of freezing cold environment he would later face in the Antarctic. He did his planning and preparation by learning from the experts who actually lived in a freezing environment.
However, planning and preparing for too long can allow negative thoughts to creep in. And negativity can kill off any project. Amundsen's crew were not at all happy with their long stay in Arctic conditions while Amundsen learned from the Inuit.
Sometimes action is king. You can always learn as you take action and create your own mistakes and successes. Eva Young sums up this point cleverly:
"To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing."
Another succinct comment on the same point comes from a minister called Vance Havner:
"The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps - We must step up the stairs."
If we spend too much time thinking about our potential we may never turn that potential into reality. Fear often makes us pause and cogitate for too long before taking action.
Michael Dell of Dell computers puts his success down to the fact that he was not afraid of making mistakes.
He did not wait for perfection before he took action to produce and sell his computers. He took far more action than most people and made more mistakes than most but he learned from the mistakes and corrected things as he went along.
If we are following a how to do it manual, it is probably better to read a bit and then put that bit into action before going on to the next bit. Few people can read a manual straight through and, if they do, become so bored or overwhelmed with information that they lose their focus and enthusiasm for implementing it.
In life we can both think and do. Most of us spend too much time thinking instead of doing.
Instead of thinking too much, let's do some preparation and planning and then just get going and take action. We need to step up the ladder to success and not just look at it.
About the author
John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams.
They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.
The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now! - Acronyms, Stories, And Pictures...Easy To Remember And Use Everyday To Grab Your Life And Soar With The Eagles"
The book can be found at this URL: http://www.motivationtoday.com
The book uses acronyms, stories and pictures to help readers remember 36 laws that can gradually transform your life if you apply them.
You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine or on your website so long as you do not alter it and keep in the words about the author and the 36 Laws.
shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareHow does an online marketer define success ? There are... Read More
I can tell, with 95% accuracy, if you are going... Read More
There is no substitute for direct personal application. Information or... Read More
Success is a journey and along the way we need... Read More
Personal missions statements (PMS) are just nothing but the winning... Read More
There is a disquieting trend emerging among women particularly -... Read More
The ability to achieve our enormous untapped potential is directly... Read More
Wealthy people share common traits. That's why they are wealthy.... Read More
To take the online road to success is not, contrary... Read More
Abundance is intangible, spiritual and attracts energy. To attract this... Read More
Make a game out of reaching your goals Go to... Read More
Dr. Wayne Dyer published his best-selling book, "10 Secrets for... Read More
Along with time and money, energy is one of your... Read More
I used to see a chiropractor who handed out a... Read More
Depending on the person, challenges can either make or break... Read More
We have all read about people who are successful briefly.... Read More
Bank account bare? Bedroom barren? Body running on empty? Buddha... Read More
There are twelve necessary elements involved in achieving success:1. Spend... Read More
Why is true success so rare?Why does research show that... Read More
If we are involved in a project, how hard should... Read More
Following are a series of questions I needed to ask... Read More
Mike, his feet dangling above the city, opened his lunch... Read More
I wrote an article on this very subject, with the... Read More
The approach of a new year usually causes us to... Read More
Formula For SuccessThe winners in this life know the rules... Read More
Green Bay Hummer H2 SUV rentals ..We speak every day without fully recognizing the impact our... Read More
"Never, never, never give up; never give up, never!." -... Read More
Unexpected life changes. Anticipated transitions. Long, sleepless nights. What do... Read More
Self-esteem is very important. It is the way we view... Read More
If we hope to achieve any worthwhile goal it will... Read More
"Write checks on a regular basis to those who you... Read More
Time taken for self-analysis is so important in developing your... Read More
In a recent article (What is The Ultimate Lifestyle), I... Read More
If you have a choice each day in the tasks... Read More
Bank account bare? Bedroom barren? Body running on empty? Buddha... Read More
Do you believe that? Do you believe we can all... Read More
"If you want to increase your success rate, double your... Read More
IF and WHEN were friends. Every week they met and... Read More
So you want to be successful (whatever that means to... Read More
If you help yourself, God and humans will help you... Read More
The best and fastest way to learn how to make... Read More
Success isn't all that it's cracked up to be... I'm... Read More
It is accepted that most people have felt shy at... Read More
The power went out. Again!I looked out my second story... Read More
Fear, or negative anxiety, is the modern day bubonic plague,... Read More
Far too many of us struggle through life despite more... Read More
IntroductionSuccess - we all read about it, hear it on... Read More
People who are on the same journey tend to band... Read More
We all want to improve our top line - our... Read More
Business knowledge and skills are not the only keys to... Read More
Success |