It seems there is always too much to do and too little time.  Sometimes when we end the day or year, and look back, we wonder, what did we DO?  Where did the time go?

"Doing" is the thing that moves you or your team or your community forward.  An interesting and useful question to reflect on can be where is all this "doing" taking me and how fast or slow will it take to get me there?   

One big personal lesson in doing for me was to learn to do something despite any associated fear I may have about it.  This is an ongoing lesson that shifts its character based on the situation I'm dealing with.  I remember just having gotten my driver's license and I was afraid of getting lost.   My plan to overcome this was to get lost!  I drove into Boston by myself, without any preplanning or maps, and got myself completely lost.  Years later, I intentionally did it again, in a foreign country, on foot, where English was not the native language.  The good news is I always found my way, and developed some helpful strategies along the way, too!  These exercises in getting lost have helped me have less fear of being lost as well as more confidence in taking action on things that I fear.

Everyone is different in how they approach or do not approach "doing."  Nike encourages us to "Just do it."  Many experts talk about planning and goal setting before taking action.  Every individual has a personal approach or process for gearing up into action.   Because of the personal/experiential nature of "doing," this edition of Elements, as well as Part 2 later this summer, has snippets from the thoughts and experience of various well-known experts such as Steven Covey, Brian Tracy, T. Harv Eker, Marshall Goldmith,

and Daniel Goleman.

To be effective leaders, we are often required to do things in a way that they have not been done before.  Not being afraid of "doing" gives us the courage and momentum to do that.

So I hope this brief "Part 1" issue of Elements inspires you to take action and move forward on whatever front you desire.

As for me, gotta go - Things to do!

Star Dargin

978 486 4603

StarS@StarDargin.com

Steven Covey writes in the classic, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, that to create successful "doing" - movement towards desired results - there must be relevant and effective:

• Skills (How to do)
• Knowledge (What to do and Why)
• Desire (Want to do)

Habit #7 is, "Sharpening of the Saw", meaning "renewal."  Renewal is the core principal of growth.  Growth empowers us to move forward and upward in continuous improvement. Moving along this upward spiral is a continuous process of:

• Learning - acquiring a new skill or self-knowledge, identifying an unrealized desire
• Committing - to trying it
• Doing - taking action on it
• Repeating the above

T. Harv Eker, who wrote, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind has these beliefs about action - that in the real world you have to take action to succeed, and that action is the bridge between your inner world and outer world.

Because we are creatures of habit, we need to practice acting in spite of fear, doubt worry, uncertainty, discomfort, being unconvinced, and also when we are not particularly in the mood to act!

He suggests that we learn to become comfortable with uncomfortable and uncertain situations, and to be willing to do what is necessary, even if it is hard or difficult.  To start, practice noticing any fears you may have about the contemplated action, and find a way to work through it.  This involves being willing to do something where the results are not completely known.  Or it may involve taking some known but calculated risks.