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TODAY’S IDEA: Motion vs. Action: The Difference Means Your Success
— From Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
How are your New Year’s resolutions coming along? As we’re getting started this year with their implementation, “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 side hustle. We are so focused on figuring out the best approach that we never get around to taking action.”
“The best is the enemy of the good.” – Voltaire
Habit guru and author James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, refers to this as motion vs. action, that is, the difference between being in motion and taking action:
“The two ideas sound similar, but they’re not the same. When you’re in motion you’re planning and strategizing and learning. Those are all good things, but they don’t produce a result.
Action, on the other hand, is the type of behavior that will deliver an outcome. If I outline 20 ideas for articles I want to write, that’s motion. If I actually sit down and write an article, that’s action. If I search for a better diet plan and read a few books on the topic, 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. It doesn’t matter how many times you talk to the personal trainer, that motion will never get you in shape. Only the action of working out will get the result you’re looking to achieve.”
At this point, you’re probably thinking that motion is a necessary precursor of action, as we actually need to learn and plan before doing something. I completely agree with you on that. Where the author cautions us not to get stuck is in the planning phase. “More often than not, we do it because motion allows us to feel like we’re making progress without running the risk of failure. […] It’s easy to be in motion and convince yourself that you’re still making progress. […] When preparation becomes a form of procrastination, you need to change something. You don’t want to merely be planning. You want to be practicing.”
And that is the key to creating a new habit that will lead you to your goals: practice, practice, practice. The more you repeat this new behavior, the faster you’ll be on your way to master your new habit.
What new habit are you trying to master? Was motion vs. action an eye-opener for you? It was for me! Let me know your thoughts in the comments here.
ACTION
TODAY: What new habit are you trying to master? What action do you need to take to make it happen? Set a schedule for your actions and/or pick a date to go from motion into action. Take action today, even if it’s the smallest one you can take so that you make it impossible to fail.
FUTURE: Whenever you are looking at mastering a new habit, remember that you will indeed be in motion initially, as it refers to learning and planning, but don’t let this paralyze you (analysis paralysis). Action is what will lead you to success: schedule it and set timelines to shift into action. Read more about this.
Know someone who is trying to master a new habit this new year and could benefit from learning about motion vs. action? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!