1-Minute Win #65: Vision Requires Action

Intentions don't change outcomes.

Actions do.

#Leadership #GrowthMindset

Transcript

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Welcome to One Minute Wins with Dr. Dana Martin, the podcast where intentional growth needs practical leadership. One quote, one lesson, one action to help you lead yourself and others better. Let's jump in.

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Howdy, and welcome back to One Minute Wins. I am Dr. Dana Martin, leadership coach, author, speaker, someone who believes that great ideas are not only valuable, they're valuable when they become real. Today's episode, One Minute Win number 65, vision requires action. Our quote today from Peter Marshall: Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. I love that quote because it exposes something every leader struggles with. Planning feels productive, and dreaming feels exciting. Talking about what we're going to do can feel like progress, but none of those things actually change your reality. Only action does. And today we're talking about why intentions don't change outcomes, action does. Intentions don't change outcome. Actions do. Vision is essential and goals matter, and planning matters. But vision without execution becomes just wishful thinking, right? The world isn't changed by good intentions alone. It's changed by people willing to take the first step. Sometimes we wait for many reasons. We can probably list a million. First and foremost, we need everything perfect. Well, what is perfection, right? The perfect plan, perfect timing, perfect opportunity. Meanwhile, what happens? Exactly. Nothing. Nothing happens. Progress doesn't require perfection, it just requires movement. Several years ago, I had an idea for something I wanted to build. And I put in the time, right? I researched it, I outlined it, I refined it, and I kept telling myself, this system, it's it's almost ready. It's it's just ready. And weeks turned into months, and months turned into much longer. It sounds actually a lot like my dissertation. Then someone asked me one simple question: When are you gonna start? Well, not when will it be perfect? That's not the question they asked. When will you start? And that question totally changed my thinking because I realized preparation had quietly become procrastination. I'm gonna say that again. Be careful that preparation doesn't quietly become procrastination. The first imperfect step accomplished more than months of planning. Action creates momentum. So here's what some research tells us. British Journal of Health Psychology found that people who created specific implementation intentions, as deciding exactly when, where, and how they would act were nearly twice as likely to complete their goals compared to those who relied on motivation alone. The difference wasn't desire. Everyone wanted success. The difference was action. Specific action, right? Specific action beats vague intention every single time. Here's another quote that I think today fits perfectly from Ralph Waldo Emerson. An ounce of action is worth a is worth a ton of theory. An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory. Knowledge has value. I'm not saying planning has value. But in the end, only action creates results. Leaders are remembered for what they build, not what they almost did or what a great plan they had. So when I think about my own journey writing books, launching podcasts, starting DM leadership and DM ILM, developing Communal What, the new podcast, over on the new on the YouTube channel, none of those projects began fully formed, right? Every one of them started with one decision. It was one outline, it was one chapter, it's one recording, uh, one workshop, one conversation. And if I'd waited until everything was perfect, none of it would exist today. I'd still be imagining. Action creates clarity, not the other way around. So here's how we as leaders move from vision to action. Number one, there's four. There's always four. Number one, identify the next step. Not the entire journey, not you know, five weeks from now. Just what's the next step? Just one. Number two, make it small enough that you can start in the moment now, today. Momentum matters, then magnitude. Number three, schedule it. If it's only intention, then that's all it's ever gonna be. And life will find a way to crowd out that task. Put it on the calendar, protect it. Number four, review your progress, not your perfection. Celebrate the movement, then take another step. So, what are those four? Identify the next step. Number one. Number two, make it small enough to begin now. Number three, schedule it. Number four, review your progress, not your perfection. Leadership is built one action, one step, one foot in front of the other at a time. Not in one day. So here's today's reflection question. What small deed or task can you act on right now? The one thing maybe you've been planning, talking about, thinking about, scheming about. That simply just needs to begin. What is that? And so today's action step, of course, is going to be take that action before today ends. Send the email, make the call, write the page, start the project. Don't wait for tomorrow because tomorrow's always going to be there. And today is only today. So start today. Vision inspires people, no doubt. But action convinces them. Your team isn't watching what you intend to do, they're watching what you consistently do. And leaders build credibility through that execution, and vision sets that direction. Then what creates the is the results? Action. Action creates the results. You've been listening to One Minute Wins with me, Dr. Dana Martin. You can find the book over on Amazon.com. One Minute Wins Volume 1. Take control of your croak journey one minute at a time. If this episode resonated with you, like, subscribe, share with someone it may resonate with. You can find more information about me at DMILM.com or at Dr Dana Martin on most socials. Always remember be the example.