Stop Thinking, Start Doing

by Penny · July 12, 2025

Do you find yourself thinking about a dream or doing x, y, z but do not actually do anything? I find I tend to think a lot! Often, the task at hand seems overwhelming to me. Thinking about how I am going to tackle it makes me feel like I am doing something about it. Actually, all I am doing is procrastinating and wasting time.

Thinking about what you want to do is not a bad thing in itself. A thought-out plan-of-attack helps you stay on track and actually accomplish tasks. When I worked in the business world, we always had to have a documented game plan with dates associated to each task. I and my team developed software that clients used to run their businesses. We had roll-out dates that had to be met. The game plan helped us stay on track so we could meet our goals and in turn, the company’s goals.

I say this to explain that I know I have the ability to be more disciplined and accomplish goals. I keep getting in my own way.

What is a goal?

We all have goals in life. According to Google, a goal is simply “the object of a person’s ambition, effort; an aim or desired result.”

One recent acting coach I met with encourages her clients to create “badass” goals. She calls them “badass” because they must: be measurable, attainable, have a deadline, align with our values, be specific and super motivating.

Write down your goal

No matter how “scary” stating a goal in writing can be (especially if the goal seems so far out of reach), writing it down makes it real. It forces you to be specific, realistic, committed to doing what you set out to do.

Shortly after I had met with that coach, I actually wrote down my goals for the month. You know what? I actually accomplished them. Writing them down helped me stay committed and focused. When I had choices to stray, I stayed on the path I set out for that month.

You would think this achievement would have kept me going! But writing down goals and sticking to a plan takes work. And for some reason, I thought now that I had success, a simple “to-do” list in the morning would be enough. Truth be told, I wanted freedom and a little less structure. I also failed to acknowledge that a daily “to-do” list, although good at helping me get daily tasks done, did very little to get me closer to achieving that big goal/dream.

Get an accountability buddy

One thing I failed to mention above is that I had signed up for the “accountability” session the following month. Signing up for that session motivated me to actually be accountable and do what I set out to do.

For some reason, being accountable to myself currently does not work. I have a couple friends that I can ask to help me be accountable. I actually gave them my current week’s goal. As I typed that sentence, I realize I really need to sit down and relook at my end goal and make sure I am not silently sabotaging my true potential!

Do you have someone you can ask to help you achieve your goals? This person has to be a cheerleader in the sense that they don’t pooh-pooh your goal or dreams. They encourage you to stay on track and extend grace when you do not. They basically help you to be the best you can be.

Stop making excuses

I am really good at making excuses. I like to say I have a rebellious spirit and that prevents me from being more disciplined. I also allow my family to take priority, even though I have two grown children living their own lives and a fully capable husband who can handle things without me.

How about you? Do you allow family, friends, the full moon, lack of sleep or any number of things prevent you from working each day on something your heart truly desires?

I want to encourage you, and me, to think big thoughts. Turn those thoughts into daily actions. Tackle those actions, one at a time. Watch yourself blossom each step of the way. Achieve desired results as you shoot for the stars and shine!