Do the Task

Your word and credibility is a testament to your character. If people believe what you say and trust your words, it means you have established yourself as someone who is trustworthy and dependable. The spoken word only goes so far. To construct an internal set of values, we cannot simply shout affirmations in the mirror of what we think we are. We cannot simply talk the talk. Our actions must support and back up what we say. When we do this, we not only prove to ourselves we are who we say we are, we also gain a sense of confidence in our ability while also constructing the external characteristics we display for others. This perspective is not about talking the talk nor is it about walking the walk, it is a much simpler idea: do the task, no matter what.

We are our own worst enemies. No one doubts like we doubt ourselves. Self-doubt can be overpowering and can lead to excuses and reasons for why we cannot do something. These thoughts are like the plague and hinder us at every step of the journey. Remove them. Erase them from your mind. The reality is black and white. Do the task like you said you would or don’t, and live with the consequences. Live with the feeling of failure, the feeling of regret, the feeling of what could have been.

Or:

Live with the feeling of accomplishment, the knowledge of where to improve, and the feeling of making progress. Live with the realization that even if we did not feel like acting today, we did anyways. Action does not need to lead to perfect results but if we say we are going to act and “do the task” then we should.

The following quote displays what it means to act at all costs, “Behaviors really have to supersede your feelings. Sometimes you have to behave your way into feeling it versus feeling your way into behaving,” —Lawrence Frank, President of the LA Clippers. If you want your character to remain true, action when you do not “feel” like acting is a requirement. Do the task if you said you were going to. It is that simple.

This perspective came from a recent personal experience. I moved across the country and drove 14 hours on day one of the move. I also am actively involved in a “100 push-ups a day, for 100 days” challenge. When doing the push-ups, they do not take much time, they simply require deliberate action. I normally spread them out across the day but the total time commitment is less than 10 minutes a day. With that being said, after 14 hours in the car, I did not want to do the push-ups. I did not think, I just acted. I did the task and the push-ups were done. Do the task.