Action is the answer

People are looking for lots of answers these days.

Life has been anything but “normal” the last few months. And the last weeks have been extraordinary.

Our personal lives and work, even in the best of times, call on us to address change, deal with challenges, look for opportunities and be resilient.

Add in the pandemic, and we’ve had to make major adjustments in our daily lives, face economic impact and hardships, and confront societal disruptions.

And then came an emergence of urgency to address structural racial injustice.

All of this is unlike what most of us have ever had to address, and the confluence of factors we’re dealing with in a remarkably compressed timeframe is huge.

Of course it all feels big. Because it is big.

It’s natural to want a quick return to “normal” and look for quick fixes for everything that’s hard.  

It’s natural to feel an impulse to pull the covers over our heads. 

That’s what happens when it all feels like too much. We can feel powerless.

Action is the antidote — but not just any action

The key is to choose to act with purpose. 

If you frantically start “doing” without thought, or take action that is merely a distraction (ie scroll through your phone, or scrub away at the crevices in your sink), you will not reap these benefits.

Here is why action with intention works so well. 

Action is a great antidote to fear.

Fear is unable to take the reins when you are in action. 

Taking action gives you agency in your life.

When in action, you have some control, which makes you feel good. You make choices and you pursue them, which puts you in the driver’s seat.

When you take action, you demonstrate ability.

Even taking imperfect action (that I always encourage!) and taking small steps (also always great!) shows you what you can do. You build momentum, confidence and satisfaction.

What action will you take today?

If you feel stuck, or if you feel overwhelmed with possibilities, take a bit of time to make a decision about the action to take — and then start. 

Your action may be related to your work, your health, a deadline, a desire, or more than one category. 

I’d be happy to hear about the action you take in your life. Leave a comment, or send me an email to let me know.

And if you want to take action to help end racism, I welcome you to join my new initiative, Creators of Change.

My recent blog posts, We Must Become Creators of Change, and Do You Hear the Call? will fill you in about this new effort. 

And last Thursday, we had our first Creators of Change Zoom call. 

There was tremendous engagement and a rich conversation. I am inspired by all of the people (including some who were unable to be on the call) who have committed to taking action to turn the tide on this huge problem in our society.

It’s worth noting that the commitments of those in the group are varied, in both scope and focus. And that’s fine. It’s the collective impact of all of the small action that will make a difference!

There are lots of ideas and resources available.

My Creators of Change Resource page has a growing list of information for educating ourselves, great organizations to consider supporting, art and literature (for kids as well as adults), and inspiration, too. 

Please contact me to suggest additional resources, as I am eager to expand the list. And, please share the resources with your networks.

Join the conversation!

The next Creators of Change call will be on Thursday, June 18, 8:30 am eastern. All are welcome — and please invite others in your networks, too!

Register here to join us.

And if you want to talk about taking more or different action in your life, or other challenges you may be facing, hit reply and we can make a date for a Live Big Breakthrough Call.

I promise that you will gain insights about what is limiting you, as well as what is possible in your life and work. This first step may be the most important action you take today.

Stay safe and well, and keep creating.