Do One Thing Different

Years ago, I read a book by that title. It's a terrific concept and practice. It seems so simple; but if something holds you back, what can you do?

You may be familiar with this quote:

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." (Doug Kaufman)

This ties in to a Seinfeld episode where the character, George, realizes that because he follows the same patterns over and over, his life never moves forward. The revelation hits him that if he does the exact opposite of what he'd usually do, he might get different results. Of course, every time he does this, he gets more of what desires. Because of the nature of the program, George eventually goes back to his old patterns. That can happen to us, as well.

If there's something you want to do, but hesitate, one thing that helps is to hone it down. People who offer tips on how to get motivated to go for your goal, ask you to list all the anticipated results. That's helpful; but, I take it down to the immediate goal: Take the first step. Release attachment to what happens or doesn't happen once it's taken. Just take it.

There was a time when I sold products as a new independent consultant. The dreaded moment of making the phone calls arrived. I stared at the phone, trying to motivate myself to dial the first number. My focus on "I have to make sales" was uncomfortable. After a chat with myself, I arrived at the most immediate goal: Dial the first number, then the next, and so on. I made the goal not to get sales, but to get the calls made. If I felt good enough about myself for making one call at a time, I'd relax. Then I could take the next step: Forget about sales. See if I could be of service to each person called. This process was my One Thing Different. Previously, I might have never made the calls or would have been so nervous or too "pumped" while making them, and would have scared away potential customers.

What if you're a person who fears success and thinks, "What will I do if I get more business than I can handle? First, that's a good problem to have. Second, trust that you'll figure out how to handle it when it happens. Outcomes aren't supposed to manage you. You manage them.

Know what your end-goal is, but take some time to figure out the steps to get there. Sometimes, it helps to write them down starting with the last step, until you arrive at what the first step needs to be. Whatever you write down for the first step, write underneath it, "Take the first step." Once you take it, you'll be surprised to see some of the fear you may have, dissipates. Make it fun. Give yourself a small reward, whatever is important to you. Do one thing different. Action sets you free.