And So It Begins……

This quote from Eckhart Tolle has been used throughout time as a way of motivating someone to take action on a job or task they need to complete or just start. Inevitably, one will take action as if the quote has somehow provided the nudge – or proper amount of guilt – to get to work.

I typically spend a small amount of time each day reading. Some of the reading is for pleasure, but a good chunk of it is around work related topics. It’s not always from a book. Many times it’s from a tweet that links to a blog or article. I have found this habit to be critical to my professional learning and growth and recommend each of you do the same (stepping off my soapbox now).

Lately though, it seems as if everything I read is centered around putting your fear aside and just do what you’ve wanted or been thinking about. You shouldn’t let the “Analysis Paralysis” kill your productivity or your motivation to do something. Psychologist Barry Schwartz called this the Paradox of Choice. In his TED Talk, he surmised that increased choice allows us to see better results, but it can easily lead to paralysis that gets in the way of us doing the work. With our almost unlimited access to information, we ultimately fear making the wrong decision causing us to spin in that cycle of indecision and non-productivity.

I have been in this “cycle of non-productivity” for some time now. I’ve analyzed multiple projects from every angle. I’ve read as much as I could about the topic. I’ve spoken with “experts” about the work and the pitfalls. I’ve created workload timelines and to-do’s. I’ve drafted lists of who needs to be involved. I’ve thought about communication strategies both internal and external. I’ve done just about everything except get started. No more – it’s time to just do it (thanks Shia LaBeouf).

Starting tomorrow….no today….I will be embarking on creating a “Design Thinking” team in our district. This is something that I have been thinking, or rather analyzing, for a long-time. I could share the many reasons this team is needed and my analysis has generated a large list, but instead I’ll just say the biggest reason is – “If not now, when!”. I am choosing now and it feels great!