Lead Now: Do the Work
The 25th anniversary of September 11th hit me hard. Hearing those names read at Ground Zero and remembering all those who have fallen in the line of duty reminded me of how fragile our mortality is.
We have no idea what the future holds. We have no idea when our time will be up.
I want this post to be a call to action for you.
Consider it an order, a command to lead yourself to do what you have been talking about doing.
When I use the term “lead now,” I am encouraging you to take action toward your goal.
Lead now means do the work.
Do the work to learn that new skill. Do the work to get up early for that extra training. Do the work every day to make the change that will shape your future.
By doing the work, you are leading yourself.
There is no magic pill, shortcut, or special skill required. There is only the discipline to get up every day and do the work. That is it.
As SEAL instructors would say, “It ain’t complicated. It’s just hard.”
Doing the work is hard because you must expend energy for long periods of time before you see results. In essence, you must believe in yourself before you can achieve what you seek.
Doing the work requires three things. Think of them as your Holy “Work” Trinity:
- Believe
- Act
- Energy
This trinity is what makes any dream work. You must do the work.
Believe
To lead now, you must understand where you want to go. In other words, who do you want to be?
Do not let others dictate your destination. You decide. That is part of leading now.
Lead yourself to decide who you want to be, and then become that person every day. When you are leading yourself, there are no days off. To lead now is to do the work every day.
Sometimes doing the work begins with simply reminding yourself who you are.
Telling yourself first thing in the morning, “This is who I am, and this is what I am going to do today,” is an act of self-leadership.
It is a powerful first step toward building an empowering belief, one that can set a series of actions in motion toward the new destination you seek.
The term “believe to achieve” is true. Belief is the first step required in doing the work. The more you believe, the more work you will generate and the faster you can move toward your goal.
Watch any sporting event and you will see this principle at work. Sportscasters talk about “momentum shifts,” but what actually causes the momentum to change?
It happens when someone takes an action that elevates the team’s belief in a different outcome. That person acts because he or she believes it can be done.
Belief can be infectious. For others to catch it, someone must lead first. That leadership is powered by believing something is possible.
Do the work by believing in yourself. When you do, you will be prepared to take committed action.
Lead now. Do the work.
Act
Believing is the first step, but the work is only as good as the effort you put into it.
Not all work is equal. There is work that simply goes through the motions, and then there is all-in work. It is fully committed to the cause.
That kind of work comes from believing in what you are doing and who you are becoming. This is the kind of work I want you to commit to.
Only you will know whether you gave your best effort. I am here to tell you that you can give more than you originally thought possible.
I think of the brain as having a “governor,” a limiting switch that tells us to back off when we begin pushing ourselves too hard. SEAL training is designed to push people beyond their original, preconceived limits.
You can do more than you realize. Do the work and find out for yourself.
You will have to work your way into it. Pushing your limits does not happen overnight. The process starts by believing in the person you seek to become and then doing the work every day.
Eventually, you will find yourself at the edge of what you thought was possible, only to discover that you can go beyond it.
That is what happens when you do the work. You build the belief that you can do it. The more work you do, the more confidence you build in yourself.
Taking action toward something you have never done before requires you to lead now.
This is leadership: taking action in the direction of something you have never done before.
Lead now. Do the work.
Energy
When you decide to become something new, you will need energy to do the work.
Energy is critical.
There is a physiological element to energy. You need good food, sleep, and exercise to build the stamina required to take consistent action.
But you will also need emotional energy. Where does that come from?
Your beliefs.
It comes from believing that what you are doing is worthwhile. It comes from believing in yourself and having faith that you can do it.
Do not underestimate the energy derived from love and faith. You will need both of those fuel sources to help you press on through the deepest, darkest valleys of doubt.
You can find faith in others, faith in yourself, and, of course, faith in the Almighty. Wherever you find your faith, know that you will need it as you work toward achieving something you have never done before.
From faith comes the ultimate fuel that helps you remain committed to doing the work.
Every day, I want you to think of yourself as the athlete you are. Regardless of your goal, you need an athlete’s mindset. You must build the stamina to keep doing the work.
Lead now. Do the work.
Stop Waiting
Life is short. It is precious, and we do not know how much time we have.
I want you to feel a sense of urgency to lead now.
Stop waiting and do the work.
You can do it. First believe, then act, and repeat. Keep the faith, believe in what you are working toward, and continue doing the work.
Watch what happens when you lead yourself. Others may come to your aid. Things you did not expect may happen. Doors you did not know existed may open.
Fortune favors those who do the work.
Lead now. Do the work.
