I love these quotes so much that I keep them at the top of my priority matrix to-do list. Whilst it may seem as though they contradict each other, they actually compliment one another nicely. Let me explain:
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“Action is the foundation key to all success.” ~ Picasso
I need to remind myself of this constantly. I’m brilliant at thinking, planning and talking about what I’m going to or need to do, but that doesn’t always translate into action. If you read a self-help book and never act on it, you will probably gain something. But it will be a fraction of what you’d gain if you actually acted on your new-found skills and knowledge.
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“Never mistake motion for action.” ~ Ernest Hemingway
And here lies my other problem. When I do act, I can end up being a ‘busy fool,’ endlessly working and moving and doing, but doing the wrong things first; time-wasting/putting things off along the way; trying to do everything at once and doing nothing well.
In short, I’ve learnt that to be productive and make real progress, you have to not only take action but also think about what action you’re taking and why.
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