In this digital technology, it seems that knowledge is everything. After working for a few years. I feel that the important things to do is to know what’s the background and provide with information on how to solve the issue. I wish life is like programming. When we know there’s an issue, we troubleshoot the issue, and fix the issue. Simple right? But life is much more complex than that. Even the same problem might require different approach to solve it. That’s why knowledge is power right? But what if the more you know the more you hesitant to put into action? You can elaborate on the issue and 1000 ways of possible things to happen, but that’s it. No other action after that. Have you feel that way?

It is good to know some before you can make a move. But how much knowledge is enough? By putting what you know to action, it will make you a better person. People will appreciate you more by your example of doing what you know, rather than showing that you know only. If you are a man or woman of faith, it’s also true. You can say what you believe but you do the opposite of what you should do. In this post, I want to share 6 limits you will need to move from knowing to start taking action.

1. Don’t be afraid to try
Keep in mind that, i don’t mean to do anything recklessly. There are still somethings that you need to consider, but be like a child. Try out some things. Ypu need to set what is safe and what you can try. Then don’t be hesitant. As long as it won’t jeopadrize yourself and it’s lawful, do it. What’s the worst thing can happen? You’ll fail. But so what? By doing it, you’ll find one way that doesn’t work. Try another method

2. Enough is enough.
You’ll find that the more you know, there will be something else that you need to know. And that is fine. Set a limit on how much is enough. And then do suggestion #1. Just like buying a handphone or smart phone. You don’t need to know everything about it before you buy, right? I haven’t found somebody that do a hardware test as consideration. Most People will care more on color, brand, price and maybe memory size or graphic qualities as the decision making. Likewise, set a limit in what you need to know to make a decision and do it.

3. There’s always be the first time.
It could be make other people better, but not you. Or the other way around. But how can you be sure what happen if you never try? I’m telling this myself too. There’s always what-ifs going on my mind when I want to do something new. Again, there are some things that you need to consider, but there’s a time to do it after much consideration. Don’t worry if you take longer than other people, the one that matter is you put into action.

4. Compare just with yourself
There’s always temptation to compare with other people. The world seems teaching you and me to be better than others. There’s a downside out of that. I know this is hard, but when you compare with other people, you might take risk higher or lower than what you should. if it’s about the money, $100k might seems too huge amount for you. and If you’re like me, having newborn, 2 hours for attending a conference might be a stretch for you. So, compare yourself with yourself. If you know that you always fail to continue on something, it most probable also for you to stop when you try something. So, remember to learn from your past and present to prepare some backup plan for you to keep continue what you have plan.

5. Set a time
Having a dream or many dreams are good. But if you not put a date for it, it will be only that, a dream. By setting a time, it will make a sense of urgency for you to move forward. and having a time limit, will make you more focus on the important things to consider before putting into action. There always something that will comes up when you’re not setting a time. I can feel that when I just put ‘later’ for something, it will always ‘later’ and nothing will be done for it. So this is a reminder for you and me to set a time so that you and I can put into action of what we know. One note though, set a time for success. your role and/or time frame will be different than me. For me, the better time is night time just after night feed of my son at about 9pm. I’ll have about 2-3 hours before my son wakes up again for milk and that slot is good for me to do something new. Find your sweet time, and set the appointment for yourself.

6. Respect yourself
Everyone around you will try to get your time for them. and trust me, if you don’t set a time, you’ll be pulled to other things that will distract you from what you plan to do. So, after you set appointment with yourself, do it at that time. don’t postpone it. “You” are one of the person that you need to help too. I remember an analogy that’s good. it’s like the instruction that you usually hear when you’re taking a flight. “when the oxygen mask fall down, put it to yourself first, then put it to those people that need help”. In the same way, let us help ourselves first by improving ourselves, so that we can help others.

7. Just do it
I like Nike slogan in this case. There will be time when you seems to have known everything, yet you still afraid or you become more afraid to do it. In this case, just do it. Beside you’ve known the risk, the things required to do it, and you’ve prepared for it. I like a scene of Tony Stark in “Iron Man” when he has made the suit. There’s a scene after a short while, he took the suit and test it to fly to the sky. Even when Jarvis warned him not to do it, he said “sometime you have to run, before you can walk.” Of course, it’s just a movie and it’s impossible to do it in the real life. But what I’m saying is just do it

Knowing about something is one thing. It only fill your head and you might forget after a short while. But when you put into action, it will help you to retain the information longer. It will also help you to be better. One thing that I’ve been told by other people. I will fail. and I’m sure you will fail too, even after you do what I suggest here. But don’t give up. prepare the backup action plan to keep moving forward. The way to be better will always hard. So, let us keep do what we need to do. to be better so that it will help ourselves and those around us to live a fulfilling life.

Question: What do you usually do to move yourself from knowing to action/doing? How do you keep doing it?

Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. ~ Charles Spurgeon

James 2: 18 – But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your[a] works, and I will show you my faith by my works