“Thought is action in rehearsal.”
– Sigmund Freud (1856-1939)
“Never confuse motion with action.”
– Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)
Ben’s words confirm Siggie’s. Blind action, while better than analysis paralysis, tends to look more like motion.
What do your thoughts prepare you for? We’ve mentioned rehearsal often in the DD. Still, how many of us view our thoughts as rehearsal to action? Pretty compelling, isn’t it?
I’m a big fan of short-burst “thought parties.” A stream-of-consciousness, stand-up conversation spent thinking about things like; “what if the client’s (or competitor’s) stance is “x” or “what if they lead with “y?” Sometimes as little as :10, sometimes more concentrated. Coming off those conversations, we should feel energized — ready to act on whatever course presents itself as the best way forward. By the same token, we can also get comfortable with the fact that being quiet can be an action. Waiting can be an action. In negotiations, sometimes the action has no motion at all…
The key is to be intentional. In acting. In waiting to act. The key is to know why we’re doing whatever we’re doing, or not doing. To make sure we’re not going through the motions, or just “in motion,” but rather that we’re thinking actively, rehearsing actively and taking a course of action that honors the acts that precede it.
Rehearse. Think. Act. Make a difference.
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