Following Through
The Power To Get ThingsDone
I have to confess I’d never heard of Mary Oliver until last week. But the chance online encounter has only ignited a profound admiration for her writing.
For example, this quote from “The Summer Day”:
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? — Mary Oliver
Her words serve as a poignant reminder of the importance of embracing our individuality and living life on our own terms.
I notice whenever I lose sight of this truth, I tend to get sidetracked by conformity.
My dreams fade, plans are abandoned, hope diminishes, and sort of melt into the crowd.
Why Motivation Isn’t Enough
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
Between them is the Rubicon.
Even though I write a lot about motivation and inspiration, I find myself struggling to keep that fire burning all the time.
I wear many hats, like many of us — balancing personal desires, family commitments, and societal expectations.
Often, it leaves me little time to follow through with what I really intend to do.
That project on the back burner. A cherished hobby. That budding business idea.
I tend to find myself right back at the beginning, stuck, and unable to progress.
Have you ever had something nagging at the back of your mind, but can’t quite put your finger on it?
That’s how I felt about lacking motivation and being unable to focus until I stumbled upon this book by Steve Levinson and Chris Cooper.
They discuss maximizing success in whatever we set out to do.
It’s something that resonates with what most of us want — turning our good intentions into action.
Success Hinges On My Ability To Follow Through
One of the first phrases in the opening pages of “The Power To Get Things Done” that caught my eye was the keyword: Follow Through.
Without the ability to follow through, failure is pretty much a sure thing.
That realization hit me hard.
It was the reason I sometimes felt stuck, despite my strong desire to achieve my dreams, in my case, to write.
I’d like to share two examples from two different sports:
- “Follow through” in golf means smoothly completing your swing after hitting the ball. It adds accuracy and power by extending the club’s motion in the direction you want the ball to go.
2. In soccer, “follow through” means your kicking foot’s motion after striking the ball. It generates power and accuracy by moving forward and upward. You must keep your foot relaxed for a strong, precise shot toward the goal.
Whether on the golf course, football pitch, or in life, following through is the key to turning aspirations into reality.
Following through demands commitment and persistence.
The question is “Am I ready for that?”.
The Wake-Up Call
So what was preventing me from following through on my desires?
A little excerpt from Levinson and Cooper’s book can illustrate this better:
“You’ll clean your desk only if you’re motivated to overcome the resistance you feel to clean your desk.
Being motivated to succeed won’t do the trick by itself.
You have to be specifically motivated to clean your desk.
For example, if somebody threatened to shoot you right now ‘unless you clean your desk’, you’d probably have enough motivation to overcome that resistance!”
3 Steps To Make The Shift
- Acknowledge that you won’t always feel motivated to take the necessary steps to achieve your dreams.
- Prepare to stop depending solely on inspiration, enthusiasm, or optimism to motivate you to do what you know needs to be done.
- See your intentions turning into actions as a result of the deliberate steps you take.
Changing Gears
Like many of us, I wear many hats.
As important as those responsibilities are, I had to make a few deliberate decisions for my own benefit.
- I decided to get up daily by a certain time. As a senior citizen, the mind is mostly willing but the body isn’t, so I allow myself this flexibility as to how I feel in the morning.
- I dedicated a little quiet time to prayer and journaling. It helps me center myself and express my gratitude for all the blessings in my life.
- Then it’s time for a bit of household chores, not because my wife needs it, but because it fosters our connection. We sync our schedules over coffee and a chat.
- By 9.30 am, I’m headed to a shared office overlooking the nearby bay, where I split the rent with a friend. Working from home tended to interrupt my concentration. An office offers a distraction-free environment and helps me focus. I spend four focused hours researching, planning, writing, making calls, and decisions-tasks I’d often procrastinate on at home.
- By 2 pm, I am back home. I unwind with the family and catch up on some TV. I also prioritize physical activity, aiming for gym sessions or walks three times a week.
- Rinse and repeat.
This process has now become an almost automatic habit.
I’m beginning to learn that consistent actions driven by positive habits lead to significant achievements and success.
It’s been a long and winding road, nonetheless, the jigsaw puzzles seem to be falling into place just at the right time.😃
Some Final Thoughts
Going back to Mary Oliver — so, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I was astounded by how Jonathan Scales discovered the art of following through at a very young age:
Recommended Reading
Atomic Habits — by James Clear https://amzn.to/4bpMwXp
The Power to Get Things Done: (Whether You Feel Like It or Not) — by Steve Levinson, Ph., & Chris Cooper https://amzn.to/3TqcPFM
I hope this realization of the importance of following through will also help you, just as it has helped me, to finally start that valuable project in your one precious life.
Till next time.😃
Jude
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