I love the idea of doing a million different things with my life and career – being a writer, an artist, a musician, a psychologist, working for a non-profit, a coach, a motivational speaker, traveling the world, being a teacher, being a content creator, etc. In my brain, I can realistically see myself going down many of these different career paths and finding fulfillment in my career while simultaneously making a positive impact in the world. However, this leads to a bit of an issue… especially with commitment, seeing things through, getting things done, and just overall productivity and reaching goals. 

Like I said, I love the idea of all of these things. But here’s how it normally goes: I sit and dwell on it a lot. Whether it’s thinking about my career path or even just hobbies and passion projects, I have to mull it over and figure out how each of these potential paths makes me feel. It has to feel good, and I want to be sure I make the right decision – something that I won’t regret. 

Then, I do a ton of research and let it marinate in my brain some more. If it still feels like something I want to do, I eventually (finally) make the decision to go all in. For a bit at least. And then I start second-guessing my decision and my abilities when the newness and excitement of it wears off – or when it becomes difficult to stick with it for the long term. And then a shiny object (in the form of one of those other potential paths) catches my eye, and I repeat the process, over and over, and I never make any true headway in anything. And then I’m wondering why I can’t find fulfillment in the things I do, or why I don’t have the results that I want in life. 

Whether it’s from YouTube videos, social media, blog posts, podcasts, or even courses and books – consuming information and content is not the same as being productive. Being busy is not the same as being productive. 

We kind of trick our brains into believing that we’re working toward our goals when we’re learning and taking in information. Yes, I believe that is important to do and is a vital part of the process of achieving your goals; however, the act of consuming is not the same as taking action toward your goals. With technology ever-expanding and taking over practically every aspect of our lives, this becomes a trap as well. We think we’re being busy – because we are. But being busy is not the same as being productive. 

Though efficiency is a part of what I’m saying, I’m not solely talking about efficiency. I’m referring to utilizing our time intentionally. 

This irritates me to no end because I’ve been extremely guilty of being busy with the consumption of information. It’s something that I inherently struggle with as Type 5 in general. I keep thinking that I need to have my content well planned and thought-out and have it be perfectly optimized before sharing; therefore, I’ll constantly consume books, podcasts, tutorials, courses, etc. just to feel like I was doing something productive and making a plan of action because I’m just not quite ready yet.

If I keep consuming information and coming up with plans and intentions to keep me busy and feeling productive, but I never actually take action to move toward my goal of being a coach – what’s the point? How can I expect to make progress toward my goals or get the results I want if I’m not taking tangible action? Nothing tangible comes from thinking and never acting on your ideas. Take it from someone who faces this struggle on a daily basis. My mind is active, I’m constantly learning about things,, but the results of learning that information aren’t contributing to the life I want. Why? Because the practical, tangible, results-oriented action isn’t being taken. 

If I’m thinking every day about how I want to have 6 pack abs and I research all the best workouts to do it, the best diet plans, the supplements I need, etc. but I never actually do the work, then guess what: I’m not getting the 6 pack abs. If you want to make more money and are researching and consuming all the things to come up with a plan to make it happen but never actually put the plan into action, you’re not going to get the results you want. 

Overthinking, perfectionism, feeling not good enough or not knowledgable/capable enough, being distracted, fear of judgment or looking stupid, making minimal progress, and pivoting to something different just to repeat the same process – these are struggles I completely resonate (and struggle) with every day. And using my time intentionally to focus on practical, tangible action-taking is the only way to see progress in my life. 

If you resonate with this – feeling like you’re spinning your wheels, working hard but not making any progress – let’s work on this together.

Action items:

• When you’ve gotten clarity on your core values, and identified what you want to achieve, start taking action on those things. Not just thinking about it and coming up with the perfect plan – actually take action that will bring forth tangible progress and positive results. 
  
  No, it’s not going to be perfect. It will likely be messy and it will take time, and there will be many instances where you don’t feel motivated to do the work, but if you consciously choose to take action and show up consistently, you will make tangible progress toward your goals, and you’ll learn so much about yourself along the way.