I had a conversation with a Chamber of Commerce Executive Director this morning. We were talking about ‘pulling the trigger’ and how so few people do. So many of us can get caught up in the ‘what ifs’. Without action we have what? Not much. Think of all the great achievements in this world and in history. What if those driving them merely formed committees and sub-committees? I like the following quote. I think it conveys the idea of ‘doing’ quite nicely. “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” ~— Leonardo Da Vinci
What stops us from doing? Fear. Fear of failure or ridicule or taking the blame…whatever, it boils down to fear. The Executive Director at the Chamber hit the nail completely on the head. Putting himself through college he worked as a fireman. Now that my friends is true pressure and serious consequences when it comes to outcomes. He said it taught him how operating out of fear is a losing proposition. Working out of fear and panic leads to bad decisions. How absolutely true this is! Think about it, seriously, how devastating is taking a risk in your job? It isn’t. If the worse case scenario is you could get fired, well that isn’t so bad. Wouldn’t you rather be in an environment that supports growth?
Whether you are in an environment that supports growth or not will only be determined if you take action and pull the trigger. Like T. Boone Pickens said, “Don’t fall victim to what I call the ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire.”