I’m currently on day 6 of the Simpleology 101 course, but I decided to read ahead a little in the virtuosity book.
Simpleology, teaches essentially the same rules that most, if not all, personal/business development experts are trying to teach us. Simple rules to be successful like selecting clear goals, focusing your attention and energy on your goals and taking action, and although we might have heard this time and again from all over the place and think we already know this. Something I heard from Tony Robbins rings true here, “if you are not doing it, you don’t know it”, and that’s the great thing about the simpleology course it makes it laughably easy to stick to the course and take regular, daily, effective action.
Anyhow, back to the point. I was reading ahead and something struck me on the truth about procrastination. Something simple, but true nevertheless.
“There is no such thing as procrastination or laziness”, because there is no such thing as inaction. You can’t not do anything. Even if you are sitting on your butt, watching TV, you’re doing something. There is a whole bunch of stuff happening to your body and mind, whether you’re sitting on the couch, exercising, driving, or even sleeping. They’re all actions. The only thing that exists is ineffective action masquerading as inaction.
This was an aha moment for me, not because i didn’t know that procrastination was taking ineffective action that distracted my attention from my goals, but the fact that no matter what you are doing, even if you think you are not doing anything, you are taking action. It gave me a new perspective, that made me feel more empowered.
I realized every moment is a choice. Since in order to take action you need to make a choice, a decision, and since there is no such thing as inaction, it leads that every moment of every day of your life is a choice, and that’s empowering.
June 17th, 2007 at 6:50 am
Great article. Every moment is a choice and there is no inaction. The fact of the matter is, we do what is important to us. I coach & consult daily with individuals who have a hard time dropping their story of why they do and do not accomplish what they say they desire most. Once they get out of the “should” stage & enter into the “must” zone, things begin to happen. With regard to fitness, I teach clients how to make healthy eating & daily exercise a “must” because if they do not make the change death by disease will be their only reward.
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June 17th, 2007 at 11:32 am
Thanks Kevin. I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of stories people use to justify to themselves all sorts of ineffective actions. It is difficult to stick to the path of personal power, when you don’t have someone to stand accountable to and interrupting you when you start slipping back into your bad habits.
That’s partly why I’ve started this blog. To put in writing, and commit myself to, what I’ve declared my intentions to the world. Also, when you write something down it forces you to think through things more thoroughly, to be clear with what you want to say.
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