"How do I do this?" "Just do it...."

One of the jokes that I tell all the time is: How many actors does it take to screw in a light bulb? Six. One to do it, and five to stand around and say 'I could have done that better if I had been given a chance...'


What I love about the joke is the measure of truth about the statement. As a founder of an organization and a business leader, I am always struck by the amount of people who say "I would have done what you are doing differently..." And I agree! They would have. If they had been given a chance.

The 'chance' that everyone speaks about is something that differentiates people. Leaders MAKE their own chances. They don't wait for them.

It's in our nature to improve and build upon our world. To look at things and think about how to make them better. Once we see that something exists, then we can figure out how to alter it.

What I am fascinated by is the creation of something. The spark that is something new. The desire to create something outside the scope of that you already know. To risk doing something that hasn't been done before, in order to figure out what that new thing might be.

So ask yourself - are you playing it safe and waiting for the next thing to come along that you can alter? Or can you take the plunge to start the new thing, the scary thing? Are you willing to try and fail, or do you stick with what has already been proven to work?

In those moments I am reminded of the phrase that i heard years ago; "How do I do this - Just do it! Am I doing it right? - Yes." It is better to make a decision and find out what you learn from it (or from the failure) then to stand back and not do anything. 

Forward motion. Take action. Screw in the light bulb yourself.

For more information on ImprovMindset's Innovation and Action workshops, click here.

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