Stop! In The Name of Doing! (Take An Action Vacation)
Do you secretly thrive on keeping a lot of balls in the air? Is
your success measured in part by how much is accomplished on any
given day? Do the endorphins flow when appreciative friends and
family ask; "how do you do it all?!" If so, your practical
approach to action is one of your strong suits. You make plans.
You make lists. You think ahead. Let's face it, you make things
happen. Whether you are writing holiday cards in October,
creating a 5-year plan for your business or taking your vitamins
daily, you are employing your gift for doing. You, my friend,
are a "do-er."
But what happens when your talent for doing stops working in a
particular area? Instead of moving ahead at your usual speed,
you find that your efforts are mysteriously thwarted. Instead of
shifting easily into drive, you are stuck in neutral. Or, the
nightmare scenario, you find yourself in reverse! If you are
used to achieving results on a regular basis, you may get
mentally immobilized when your attempts to move forward, begin
to fail.
When this happens, our sense of focus gets fuzzy and our
momentum is suddenly out of sync. In my coaching practice and in
my own life, I have found that when this happens, it is not
because I have failed to do enough. It is because doing has
become a habit instead of a tool. This is a sign that it is time
to take a breath, take a break and take an Action Vacation.
Before I continue, I should tell you that taking action is at
the very core of my coaching practice and at the center of my
motto; Inspiration/Action/Success. In my experience, if we are
willing to identify and take action toward a stated goal, we
will eventually achieve that goal or another more desirable one.
Action is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal
and I spend a good portion of my practice, coaching my clients
to take action even if they are not sure it is the right action.
Any action creates energy and out of that energy, possibilities
and options abound.
So, given my enthusiasm for action, why would I be suggesting
that you take a break from taking action? I am suggesting this
because there are times when the only way to move forward is to
stop, temporarily. And it's not as easy as it may seem. For some
of us, perpetual motion is like a cozy sweater we cannot live
without or a big mug of hot chocolate on a wintry evening. We
are so comfortable in motion, that we don't notice when what we
are doing is not working. Even when we are faced with exhaustion
and failure, we refuse to stop and rest. We just do more! Why?
Because, we know that in the past, checking off that list has
worked and so we trudge onward, hoping for a better result. Like
the Energizer Bunny, we "keep on going" and getting nowhere.
So, how do we untangle this snarled ball of string? It can be
tricky, because inherent in the do-er makeup, is a desire to
create structure, goals and a framework for daily life. Dropping
everything, giving up or moving to a mountain top is not going
to solve the problem for us or relieve the anxiety that we feel.
That is why the Action Vacation solution works on a number of
different levels. It has a beginning, middle and end. It
involves making a plan. And, it yields results. Here is the
10-step process that you can implement when it is time for a
much-deserved Action Vacation.
1. At the top of a blank piece of paper write down the one thing
that is not getting done or moving forward no matter how hard
you try or how much you do about it. This may be a goal, a
process, a relationship shift or any other "problem," that is
stuck.
2. Write a list of everything you have done about the problem.
3. Take a moment to sit back and appreciate and acknowledge
yourself for how hard you have worked. 4. Then take a moment to
acknowledge that your best efforts have not created the result
you want in this area. 5. Write down anything that is still left
to do about the issue. Maybe you could do more of what you have
been doing, or try something again. Make sure you get all the
ideas out of your head and onto a piece of paper. Set it aside.
6. Commit to an Action Vacation. Decide how much time is
appropriate based on the issue. It may be 1 week, 1 month, a day
or even an hour.
7. Take a moment and close your eyes. Visualize putting the
problem inside a balloon. Let the balloon go and watch it fly
away taking the problem with it.
8. The hardest part of the Action Vacation is dealing with the
little voice inside your head. We all have a little voice, an
ongoing commentary about our life and decisions. The little
voice does not go on vacation and it doesn't want you on
vacation either. It may want you to start doing things again. It
has been trained to do, remember? The voice may tell you that it
is the wrong time for an Action Vacation or that the problem
will get worse if you stop working on it. When that voice speaks
to you, it is ok to listen, but remember it is operating from
fear. Remind the voice that you are on an Action vacation, and
you will focus on that issue as soon as the vacation is over.
You may have to do this a number of times before the voice
begins to fade. You are re-training your mind.
9. During the vacation, you may have new ideas, thoughts and
perspectives about your issue. That is great. Write them down
but don't do anything about them.
10. When the Action Vacation is over, take a look at the issue
again. Evaluate it and notice if anything has changed. Review
any new ideas that you thought of during your vacation and take
a look at the list you made in step#5. On a new piece of paper,
write down the issue, and make a list of action steps that you
can take. This is your new game plan and now you are in your
element. Start crossing off that list.
We are so lucky. We have been given a toolbox for taking action
in life and the ability to use it. Our lists and plans are
usually not a burden, but an opportunity to do what we do best
and utilize our strengths. However, when we find that
satisfaction has been replaced by confusion, stress, anxiety and
hopelessness, an Action Vacation is food for the "doing" soul.