What Are You Fixin’ To Do?

“We are always getting ready to live, but never living.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Years ago, I had a business colleague who explained that he was “just fixin’ to do that” when I followed up on something I was expecting him to do. I’ve had clients, friends and relatives who have taken the same approach to life; they’re thinking about it, mulling it over, and planning it, but never beginning.

Some of the things they were “fixin’ ” to do are ordinary and no big loss. Others are passion-radiating dreams and Bucket List items with some urgency and an unknown expiration date.

One of my Chicago area colleagues told me as I began my first business “There are times to leap and times to ooze. The challenge is to have the wisdom to know which is which.”

As long as our dreams stay in that hazy thinking place, there’s no risk — and no payoff.  If you are sitting back watching others accomplish and not getting done in your life and business the things you are dreaming about, when will you take action on those plans?

1. Figure out the delay. Is it a valid reason or your fear holding you back? If it’s your fear, analyze the fear you feel. Is it real or something you tell yourself? Ask yourself what is the worst that could happen if you move ahead. Get support from colleagues, friends or a coach to help you move forward.
2. Put a plan on paper; focus, fill in the details. Get your plan out of that dreamy head space and lay it out. Put a timeline with it. Be realistic about deadlines, but get started. Remember that some things will flow and some will require your energy to activate.  Some things will ooze and others will require you to leap.
3. Take steps to follow your plan, revising as you go. There is no perfect plan that will survive the events and circumstances of implementation. Keep moving, and remember:  Nothing moves until you do.
4. Delegate the things that slow you down or that you dislike doing. These are the things that frustrate you and get between you and executing your plan. Delegate the tasks that get you bogged down in details or cause you to procrastinate because this is not the work you love.
5. Celebrate! As you begin to take action, as you execute, as you accomplish, give yourself credit for moving forward! When you follow your plan, check things off the list and feel good about getting this going. And when you get that feeling of accomplishment, roll that into your motivation and enthusiasm and keep moving!

I recently had the experience of working with a coaching client in an Intensive Rebuilding Session.  We got a lot done, enjoyed our time working together and ended up with a great map for him to follow with his business. That experience and its results felt *AWESOME*! And served as motivation for me to keep reaching out and scheduling more of this work.

When it comes to the things that matter to you and to your business, take action. Stop thinking about what you are “fixin’ ” to do and shift to what you are getting done. If it’s worth doing at all, it’s worth doing now!