Sorta Random Sunday: Don't Talk About It Before You Do It

Sorta Random Sunday: Don’t Talk About It Before You Do It

One of the hardest things to do in life is to take action. Which is why most people end up doing a whole lot more talking than doing. It's so much easier just to talk about what you are going to do before you actually do it. But there is also a lot of danger in that. So I'm here to put a line in the sand: don't talk about it before you actually do it!

In so many ways, talking about what you are going to do before you do it actually keeps you out of the arena. Which is where all the action happens. And yes, the arena is a scary place, full of naysayers and those too scared to actually enter for themselves. But that is where you need to live if you want to make a difference. However talking isn't your ticket to entrance.

But why? Well, let's start with an example

Back when I was in college, I played in a summer baseball league that was highly competitive. One summer, when my brother was a senior in high school, he played on the same team. I played outfield and my brother was a fantastic pitcher. This was such an incredible experience.

Our example comes in because this team was the best in the league and led by current or former players with college or pro experience. For my brother, despite his talent, breaking in as a high school senior was tough. He felt frustration and, on the bench, would sometimes talk about how well he would do if given an opportunity. Sometime in the beginning of the season, I caught wind that this was rankling some of the other players who perceived it as sour grapes.

That's when I had a talk with my brother. My message: don't talk about how good you are (he was); show it. Show it in practice and warm ups. Show it with your work ethic. And show it when you get an opportunity in games.

He took the advice and did just that, showing what he had an helping out team reach a regional championship.

3 reasons why you don't talk about it before you do it

Or maybe better put, 3 reasons talking will keep you out of the arena…

1. It makes you think you've actually done something

We are very good at fooling ourselves.

Again, talking is so much easier than doing. So that is often where we start. We have a goal. So we tell others and ourselves how great it will be to achieve that goal. How we will achieve it. Our grand plans.

And before we know it, we feel like we have actually made some progress. We sit at the end of the day thinking that we are on the way. When in reality, we are right where we started. And this can continue in perpetuity. Think about how many people you know who talk about goals or milestones that never seem to be reached.

This is not to say that you shouldn't plan. But plan and then take action. You don't need to spread the word beyond those immediately necessary to the actionable items in your plan for success.

There will be time for talking later.

2. It creates unrealistic expectations

For you and for others.

Think back to the Segway. I remember the media storm that took over about Segways when I was a kid. To hear the way that the company talked about them you would think they would become the next major mode of transportation. And they did a lot of talking. So expectations rose tremendously among the public.

The problem?

The final product did not come anywhere close to meeting those artificially driven up expectations. Once people actually got their hands on it and it didn't live up to the dream sold to them, they put it down immediately. In the end, it was a spectacular failure.

Now, I'm not saying the we would all be scooting around on Segways if they had just kept their mouths shut and marketing is a necessary component of any sale of a good or service, but it certainly didn't help.

All this talking also convinced Segway they had a hit. So much so that they ignored suggestions to the otherwise and criticism that may have helped them develop a better, more successful product.

3. It rankles others

The journey to do anything is hard enough on its own. Like I said, once you take action, the arena is full of those who don't want you to succeed, most often for petty reasons. You don't need to give them more ammunition to make your pathway to success any more challenging. And any talk you give them is more ammunition for them to use against you. Once you accomplish something, then you can talk.

But until then, keep quiet and move in silence.

Sports, business, medicine is filled with people who boasted too soon only to be served some humble pie.

Don't talk until you do it

As Ryan Holiday shares, talking is a recipe for your ego to grow too large. We need to keep our ego in check by humbly working towards our goals. Success will come sure enough after the work and time spent in the arena.

So jump in. Get started. Take the first step.

Trust the process and you will reap the rewards!

Here are some quiet financial steps you can take to accelerate your path to financial freedom before you even need to say a word about it to anyone:

What do you think? Why is it so tempting for us to talk about our actions before we actually take them? How can we mitigate this? Do we need to? Let me know in the comments below!