Growing up my mom often used the phrase, “This will cure what ails you!” The “cure” varied widely as she said it about everything from bad behavior to an upset stomach.
As my mom believed, there might be a universal cure to whatever ails you. So, what is it? First, consider: Writer’s often complain of “writer’s block.” Those are periods when they say they can’t write anything. The words don’t come. They are uninspired and passionless.
I learned the cure for “writer’s block” many years ago: write. Combine words and letters, write from stream of consciousness, describe what you did yesterday, but just write. Leave out punctuation, use bad grammar if you must, and don’t spell check as you go, just write. Then, later, having broken through your block, go back and edit, refine and rewrite until you’ve produced the product you desire to share with the world.
It is the same cure for almost anything, whether a blockage of good ideas, a dead end in your learning and development, or the growth of your company.
Just do something.
Luck favors momentum. Planning and preparation might help, but they never replace the doing. Take some action. Get off your beach blanket, wade into the waves, splash around in the ocean of effort.
The cure to not doing something is to do something. Sounds so simple as to be nonsensical, but the unwillingness to accept this keeps many from moving ahead.
Does poor health ail you? Schedule an appointment with your doctor, throw away the bad food in the fridge, take a walk, or join a health club. None of those things will instantly make you whole, but any of them will make you healthier than you are currently.
Are you ailing in an important relationship? Make the time to have a conversation, express appreciation, ask a question, or invest more time in that person. You can’t improve without initiating.
Are you suffering from a lack of teamwork? Are you not getting the results you need from team members? Read an article, buy a book, go to a seminar, interview a successful leader, and than apply at least one idea that you’ve learned.
Here’s the cure for whatever ails you:
- Determine what you will do; something, no matter how small. Choose anything as long as it is helpful.
- Pick a time to do it. Schedule it. Better yet, do it right now.
- After you’ve done it, pick something else to do.
- Repeat the process.
As a tribute to my mother who recently passed at the age of 82, I offer this as a cure for whatever ails you.
