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.