One of my favorite sayings that I strive to live by, is from Benjamin Franklin:
“Well done is better than well said.”
Now, I’m not saying everything I do, is necessarily well done, but I strive to make it so. No, what I’m saying is that talking about something is one thing, but actually DOING it is quite another. Those of you who know me, know that I am essentially a chatterbox. I will explain something until I’m blue in the face, or go on and on about how I love something- hey, I AM Tami Loves, after all, and you may think that I’m just a lot of talk. But if you really, really, know me, you know that I put a lot of walk behind that talk. If I say I’m going to start a project, and plan it all out, you can bet that I am certain to do it.
You get an idea, surmise, estimate, guesstimate, anticipate, and investigate, but if you don’t ever put those plans into motion, what good is all that talk? It sounds really good when you talk about it to people, or put it down in writing, but if there’s no action behind the words, what do you have? Nothing.
Another way of saying this would be “actions speak louder than words,” or “put your money where your mouth is.” You get the idea. Wouldn’t it be great if every politician practiced these simple but effective clichés?
I try to lead by example, bring out the best in others, encourage people, and be a good friend. Sometimes it’s hard to actually DO since it takes a lot more effort than saying, because we are all so busy. It’s always something I need to work on, and continually improve.
It reminds me of a guy I knew a few years ago who had this great idea to create a spectacular perennial garden in his front yard. Every time I saw him in town, I’d ask how it was coming along. “Oh it’s all in the works,” he’d say with a laugh. Months went by, and then a couple of years, and as I’d drive by his house I noticed there was still no garden. I wondered why he never got the garden done because he was always so animated talking about it. One day, I saw him in the post office. He came up to me and was as jovial as ever. I asked him if he was still planning that garden. “Oh sure!” he said enthusiastically. “I keep getting new ideas for what plants to use, and now my wife has decided she’d rather have a rose garden there, so we’ll see what we can come up with! It’s all in the works!” I left feeling slightly sad for him. It seemed he’d never get from the planning stage to the growing stage. Sometimes people just enjoy planning something. It gives them hope, whether they put their plans to fruition or not. In this case I think there was a bit of that, but also some lack of motivation on the man’s part to actually do the work.
While it might not matter to anyone but you whether you accomplish and complete your personal tasks, it does matter to other people at some point if it’s part of your job. Setting goals, developing ideas, coming up with a course of action, and seeing it through is important to your growth as a person. Lead by example. Show your kids how to make those dreams come true. Put those words into action. You’ll feel better when you see your accomplishments, and they will inspire you to do more.
Tami Loves…projects that are completed, and work that inspires the drive in others.
