How many minutes have you spent thinking what if it may go wrong? or
- What if I take the wrong direction?
- what if I spent more time on this than desired?
- what if it is worth taking up?
- what if something else is better thing to do than this?
- what if it shows me in poor light?
What if – is one of biggest time sink, reason to procrastinate & not act — and road block to personal productivity. Just do it – is the reverse. It helps you move and possibly fail. If I don’t move – I have anyway failed.
Having said that – thoughtless action vs thoughtful paralysis – are two extremes. I need to be careful and take the middle road. Typically in my personal experience, I have seen more of later than of the former. Given more time – analysis & procrastination takes the excess of the available time. Parkinson Law applies – work expands to fill the time available.
There is need to push ourselves – to action. After thinking, it’s time to go with the natural flow of action and keep the gut check active – to not fall in trap of thoughtless action.
That is it. Just do it.
ps. The due credit for the trigger point about ‘what if’ started when I first read this article and ever since it has been growing on me on how much harm this can do.