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.
move in cleaning service Wilmette ..You must play by the rules. Everything has rules. You... Read More
What makes you unique? Answering this question will provide the... Read More
Fear, or negative anxiety, is the modern day bubonic plague,... Read More
Imagine living in the world that Helen Keller found herself... Read More
I don't need to be a gypsy fortune teller to... Read More
You can achieve whatever you want by incorporating the following... Read More
Imagine being firmly committed to your deepest ambitions. Imagine feeling... Read More
The simple action of writing the every day grocery demonstrates... Read More
Too many times in the pursuit of our dreams, we... Read More
One of the greatest compliments I ever received in my... Read More
The best way to predict your future is to create... Read More
The present model of business and career motivation, the one... Read More
I want to relate to you a story, READ it... Read More
Success could be just about making money, but I think... Read More
Does your life feel less than fulfilling? Are you waiting... Read More
Imagine that right now, right here, today? there is within... Read More
Success is creating what you want the way you want... Read More
Do you ever stop to consider how much we change... Read More
You talked but didn't get a response. You talked but... Read More
For centuries Protestant Christians have argued that you can reach... Read More
"See, I told you so," she emailed me, "it turned... Read More
Think how often you see a friend or an acquaintance... Read More
Success! Easy to talk about, but difficult to achieve. Or... Read More
Make a game out of reaching your goals Go to... Read More
We're all adults, and most of us probably like to... Read More
green cleaning service Lincolnshire ..All too often, we push ourselves past the limits of... Read More
Everything you will ever have and accomplish in life will... Read More
The best way to predict your future is to create... Read More
One way to become more successful in your life is... Read More
Recently I stumbled across a list of Microsoft Interview questions... Read More
He was pencil thin and walked with a limp. A... Read More
Formula For SuccessThe winners in this life know the rules... Read More
As a child you probably learned failing is bad...Failing meant... Read More
How do you define success?According to the Collins dictionary, success... Read More
The start of a new year is a good time... Read More
Affirmations are emotionally driven statements of intention and faith that... Read More
1. Believe in yourself and what it is you do.... Read More
What if I told you that you could be more... Read More
Often just one self-help principle can increase your power to... Read More
I am going to tell you something you already know... Read More
Being a spiritual teacher has continually frightened me. Not because... Read More
Have you ever thought about what makes a superstar? What... Read More
Ten years ago I went into the studio and recorded... Read More
"When you talk to yourself, you listen. No matter what... Read More
Lesson 1. Category Well Being Plan to do this.Stop blaming... Read More
To take the online road to success is not, contrary... Read More
This summer (2005) huge crowds in England and Australia have... Read More
"All the adversity I've had in my life, all my... Read More
Dare to Dream~It is said that every person has at... Read More
I am unashamed to copy the peak performance techniques of... Read More
Success |