Many Can Criticize, but Few Can Do Better
by Mindrise Coach, Jennifer Weilage
I’ve always been self-conscious about going out of my comfort zone and trying new things.
I was afraid that people would laugh at me or I would be judged in some way.
My father used to say “Many can criticize, but few can do better.”
I think of this quote a lot, especially when I’m putting myself out there in the world in an uncomfortable way.
I have learned that:
No matter what, there will always be critics.
I must be doing something courageous to even be criticized.
I don’t have to do it perfectly.
I can always have my own back, no matter what.
Along the same lines, we all want positive results in our life; yet, I have found: “Many can desire a result, but few will do the work it takes to get it.”
Productivity is doing something towards our goals every.single.day.
I often think of my goals as Lego projects. If the goal is the fully-constructed castle, the individual Lego blocks are the productive actions I need to take in order to complete it.
Maybe you have a goal of being healthier. The blocks may be writing out a food plan and following an exercise routine every day.
Maybe your goal is to find the love of your life. The blocks would be going on dates, starting up conversations with interesting prospects, putting time into looking and becoming your absolute best.
Maybe your goal is to have a clean home. The blocks may be cleaning up as you go along, giving away what you no longer want/need, making your bed every morning.
It’s each one of these colorful blocks that, little by little, create a beautiful castle.
Being productive is not simply for productivity’s sake. It’s not simply so that we can check off items off our to-do lists every day in order to feel accomplished.
It’s so that we can live the life we love. It’s all about being future focused, envisioning the end result.
Similar to a moat that surrounds a castle, there will always be obstacles in the way of us taking action.
Our biggest obstacle is our brain. Our brains find excuses usually stemming from scarcity: not enough time, money, energy.
Often, our brains perceive taking the action steps towards attaining our goals as too hard.
In order to overcome our brain’s wiring, we can simply agree with our brains.
Yes, it is hard. Yes, it is a lot of work. Yes, it will feel totally uncomfortable. And yes, maybe we will be criticized.
What if we said yes to it all?
What if we believe we can do hard things?
What if we believe that the work it will take is exactly what we need to grow?
What if we expected the feeling of discomfort and viewed it as merely a necessary part of attaining our goals?
What if we kept stacking up those blocks no matter what taking massive action towards building the life we love?
I’m so curious: What would your final outcome look like?
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Mark Twain
