Productivity: A Call to Action
One of the bigger barriers to success is actually putting any plan into action, like you’ve failed before you even started. As a habitual planner, I’m forever setting up and the execution…well, therein lies the problem. In examining the why behind the what, I recall that my favorite game as a little girl was Barbie. However, I never actually “played” with Barbie, Ken, Skipper and GI Joe. My goal was setting up their house and living area and not actually playing. The fun of setting up my doll cases as walls underneath the huge fronds of low-lying palms 
in the front yard flower beds created an urban oasis for Barbie and Ken. Once those were established, I lost interest and went on to irritate my little sister. This lack of follow-through was just through disinterest. As an awkward teenager, however, I struggled with a falling self-worth and low self-esteem. The negative voices ruled my head and guided me to inaction. I blamed those around me but, truly, it was all me, baby. As an adult, the pattern repeated. In some cases, I maintained interest; however, the sheer panic of the event overwhelmed me into inaction.
No plan works unless you implement it. Our tendency may be to wait until the perfect time or when Aunt Mary moves away or when little Amanda graduates pre-school. For some issues, this is a logical step. One step naturally precedes another step. For example, you may not be able to retire in Europe until Aunt Mary moves closer to her children in another state. Or, Amanda is a gifted child and needs the challenge of a different school situation provided by different curriculum. However, in some cases, our own failure to implement is caused by the little voice in one’s brain that provides feedback contrary to one’s desires.
Whether or not your inaction is due to a waning interest in Ken and Barbie’s ongoing household struggles amidst their palm frond oasis or the yelling voice inside your head telling you you are silly, there are a number of strategies available to help with the failure to implement. One of my favorites is Mel Robbins (more on Mel later- I promise). In her book “The Five-Second Rule”, Robbins guides her readers to strategies that drive implementation before we argue ourselves out of the idea. Robbins’ professes that the gut instinct to do something is honoring the creativity of the individual by not talking one’s self out of an idea and seeing the idea through to the end. This can be done with anything: Simple issues like doing the household chores or attending an early exercise class, or even the more difficult conversations such as discussing Aunt Mary’s living situation with her globe-trotting children.
Robbins also discusses not leaving anything unsaid. Her poignant vignettes 
resonate with her readers who may have left feelings unsaid, or causes a sigh of relief for those of us who did not leave anything unsaid and are damn glad of it. Robbins’ TEDTalk is one of the more popular of this genre on this platform. Those interested in motivation and productivity should also “read” her book using Audible.com. It is like a portable lecture and there is so much good information, it is one to replay again and again.
Whatever your take-away is from today, remember that any plan will fail if the follow-through is missing. Regardless of whether the lack of follow-through is caused by disinterest or inaction – or that negative voice that tells me I can’t do something, just “5-4-3-2-1” and just do it. You’ll always be glad you did – even if the outcome was unexpected. Living with the regret of not knowing is worse.
OK, “5–4–3–2–1! – publish!”