Do it NOW!

Years ago, when I was first starting out, I had a tremendous desire to be a success in business. And this boy from Waldo thought, “If someone is successful, I can probably learn a thing or two from them!” So I started reading books by and about successful people and I also observed the successful business people around me.

One thing they all seemed to have in common was that they were not procrastinators. Once they decided to pursue an idea, they dove in and began to develop the thought into reality. “Waiting” was just not a word that existed in their vocabulary! They did things NOW!

And this thought permeates into everything they did. One example was found in a book about J.W. Marriott, founder of the Marriott Hotels. In this book, he noted that one of the ways he kept things moving in his world was to never touch a piece of paper more than once. It didn’t matter if it was a note, mail, an invoice or a deal – he’d read it through once, make a decision and then acted on it.

Years ago I implemented this system in my life. When an invoice comes in, I make sure it’s correct and then I pay it right NOW! It’s more valuable to me to free up my brain time by not holding an invoice than it is to hold an invoice for 30 days, collect the interest on that money and then pay the invoice later. No doubt, over the years this has proven beneficial for me as suppliers know that I am a fast payer. The next time I want service, I am more apt to get a quicker response to my request than I might have gotten if I previously had waited 30 days or so to pay.

The ‘do it now’ rule is great for paper, but can this concept also translate to decision making that is in your best interest? And the answer is YES….IF (and only if) this decision propels you towards your ultimate desired goal. Knowing your goals and where you want to go will help you make decisions very quickly. Anything that takes you away you’re your goals is an immediate NO! When you know your ultimate desired result, your direction is clear. Your decisions become easier and you can DO IT NOW!

‘Do it now’ applies to every walk of life including telling and showing people you love that, indeed, you love them. Additionally, do things for yourself and others that are nice. Don’t wait; DO IT NOW!

There’s an old saying, “study long, study wrong!” I believe that all lights do not need to be green before my journey begins. Go ahead, take the plunge! As you move along and things unfold, keep operating on your instincts and you’ll be amazed how the answers will come forth!

Great things can be done today if you don’t make that day tomorrow. DO IT NOW!