This famous quote by Abraham Lincoln “Move slowly but never backward” really resonates when I consider one of my favourite books by James Clear called Atomic Habits. I absolutely love the insights about small steps and the difference between motion and action. Consider this anecdote:
On the very first day of class, Jerry Uelsmann, a professor at the University of Florida, divided his film photography students into two groups.
Everyone on the left side of the room was to be the “quantity” group. He outlined that the quantity group would be graded solely on the amount of work they produced. On the final day of class, he would tally the amount of work produced by each student. One hundred photos would rate an A, ninety photos a B, eighty photos a C, and so on.
Meanwhile, everyone on the right side of the room would be the “quality” group. They would be graded only on the excellence of their work. They would only need to produce one photo during the semester, but to get an A, it had to be a nearly perfect image.
At the end of the term, he was surprised to find that all the best photos were actually in the quantity group, not in fact the quality group.
During the term, the students in the quantity group were very busy taking photos, experimenting with composition and lighting, testing out various methods in the darkroom and learning from their mistakes. In the process of producing hundreds of photos they had been honing their skills.
Meanwhile the quality group sat around speculating about perfection. In the end, they had little to show for their efforts other than unverified theories and one mediocre photograph.
Reflection – It is easy to get bogged down trying to find the optimal plan for change: the fastest way to lose weight, the best program to build muscle, the perfect idea for a new business, the best way to develop a change process in the workplace. We are so focused on figuring out the best approach, that we never get around to actually taking action.
As Voltaire wrote: “The best is the enemy of the good”.
This is the difference between being in motion and taking action. The two ideas sound similar, but they are not the same. When you are in motion, you are planning, strategizing and learning. They are all great things, but they do not produce a result.
Action on the other hand, is the type of behaviour that will deliver the outcome.
If I outline twenty ideas that I want to write about that is motion. If I actually sit down and write an article that is action. If I search for a better diet plan, that’s motion, if I actually eat a healthy meal, that’s action.
Sometimes motion is useful, but it will never produce an outcome by itself.
So, if motion does not lead to any results, why do we do it. More often than not, motion allows us to feel like we are doing something and making progress without running the risk of actually failing. Most of is are experts at avoiding criticism. It doesn’t feel good to fail or to be judged, so we tend to avoid situations where that might happen. And that’s the biggest reason why we slip into motion rather than action: we want to avoid failure.
So, consider, motion makes you feel like you are getting things done. But really, you are just preparing to get things done. If you want to master a habit, the key is to start with repetition, not perfection.
If you want to learn more about taking action, contact Michelle on 0412047590 or via email michelle@bakjacconsulting.com
Michelle Bakjac is an experienced Psychologist, Organisational Consultant, Coach, Speaker and Facilitator. As Director of Bakjac Consulting, she is a credentialed Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a member of Mental Toughness Partners and an MTQ48 accredited Mental Toughness practitioner. Michelle assists individuals and organisations to develop their Mental Toughness to improve performance, leadership, behaviour, and wellbeing. You can find her at www.bakjacconsulting.com or michelle@bakjacconsulting.com
