It’s hard to build up the courage to do something new, even when you really care about and believe in it.
I’ve felt absolutely certain something will work, but still felt that Resistance in the back of my mind (my lizard brain) that whispers doubts and can stop me from taking action for days, weeks, or months.
One of the most effective ways I’ve found to get something done, to create a deadline and deliver, is to talk about that thing a lot.
It’s much easier to talk about something and tell people I’m going to do it than to actually do it. So that’s my first leap: I start publicly telling people that I’m going to do [thing].
Telling a lot of people about this new [thing] serves two functions:
- It creates a public expectation
- By saying it out loud over and over, I begin to believe it even more
By creating a public expectation, I’m creating my own reputational hazard. I’m a man of my word, and if I tell someone I’m going to do something, I make it happen. So by indicating that I’m going to do something, I’ve painted myself in a corner to deliver.
Of course, this falls apart if you’re not committed to being true to your word.
But for me, things are easier said then done.