When All Is Said And Done, More Is Said Than Done

...The Importance Of Taking Massive Imperfect Action

Author: Adam Erhart

How much of your life do think is wasted while sitting in traffic waiting at red lights?

According to some very smart people who have a knack for calculating these kinds of things, the answer may surprise you. 

It's believed that the average driver will spend six months of their entire lives just sitting and waiting at a red light. 

That's a lot of time.

Especially if you're not using that time to do something productive like listening to a podcast or audiobook. 

And hitting one red light is bad. But hitting multiple red lights in a row just hurts that much more. 

And if you've ever had the feeling of hitting every single red light on your drive then you're not alone. 

Thanks to pedestrians, ride-sharing, and construction, getting hit with one right light after another is common. Especially in certain cities like Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, and Philadelphia

The quest for the perpetual green light brings up a lot of questions like how are they programmed? Why are do some red lights last forever? Why aren't they timed to get you through faster? (Photo by Florian Wehde)

But as painful as getting stuck and wasting 6-months of your life at a red light is, it's nothing compared to the years wasted by prioritizing "talking" over "doing".

Yes, talking, thinking, planning, and strategizing are important.

As Abraham Lincoln said:

Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

But sharpening the axe is still taking action. So are the final couple hours chopping down the tree. 

Because at the end of the day that's what matters. Getting things done.

There's an old proverb that goes:

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

 It's solid. And demonstrates the importance of action over simply intending to do something. But I prefer the alternative form of the proverb which provides even more clarity.

Hell is full of good meanings, but heaven is full of good works

Or in other words, talk is cheap. 

And you can't cash good intentions at the bank. What matters in business and is life is what you do, not just what you say you'll do.

And this is why the solution is a term called "Massive Imperfect Action"

Here's what it looks like. 

Massive Imperfect Action is all about doing exactly what it sounds like:

  • Massive: Something big, bold, and that will make an impact
  • Imperfect: Perfection is the enemy. Done is better than perfect. Progress over perfection. 
  • Action: Do something. Anything. And do it now.

Massive Imperfect Action beats inaction every day of the week.

You see there's a common thread between businesses that grow, thrive, and impact tens, hundreds, thousands, even millions.

And that common thread is a propensity for action.

In other words, the most successful people DO stuff. Lots of it. All the time.

Action. Action. Action.

There's a famous Aesop quote (later popularized by football coach Lou Holtz) that goes:

After all is said and done, more is said than done

I know I've been there.

  • Talking about things I was going to do... then didn't.
  • Strategizing strategies of epic strategic proportions that would change the world... and then not acting on them.
  • Or having the "perfect" idea for a new course, training, or webinar, and then letting sit on my computer for weeks, months, and sometimes even years.

So, here's how to go from a "Dreamer "to a "Doer"

It's simple. But it's not easy.

You need to take action.

Massive Imperfect Action.

So write that blog post, record that podcast, film that video, build that funnel, create that Facebook Ad, or make that sales call.

Don't know how? That's ok. You can Google it, watch a YouTube video, read a book, or ask someone for help.

And then do your best to take that massive imperfect action you know you should.

Because in the end with "more being said than done", you want to be the one doing, and not just saying.