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Overthinking Action. Action over Thinking
I’ve been reading Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management by Mark Forster. It was recommended to me by someone who ironically doesn’t follow the principles (it’s quite funny actually), and in the first chapter Forster talks about Thought – Decision – Action versus Stimulus – Response, in response to prompts such as a shower of emails or a sudden phone call.
The Thought – Decision – Action is when you essentially already have a default option in place for a given prompt. Once a task appears, you make plans to complete it, or when you get an email, you make sure to either respond right away, or set a time to respond, for example. Stimulus – Response is when you don’t have a default, or a certain stimulus makes you do something you hadn’t really planned for. Stimulus – Response is when you put off responding to an email to a later date, and then inevitably forget about it (I’m really bad at this!!!).
Obviously the Thought – Decision – Action sequence is much more efficient at helping you manage your time, and I’ve been trying to incorporate it more and more into my day. It basically means being more aware of what you do when you are prompted, and then making sure that these prompts lead to action. In other words, Thought – Decision – Action is like building reflexes in your brain. These default options take the time and effort given to decision making out of the equation, the thinking has already been thought, and make it much easier to just get out there and do what needs to be done.
Action over thinking, not overthinking action.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I’m Tim Bunting AKA the Kiwi Yamabushi, a New Zealander who became a Yamabushi Ascetic in the Dewa Sanzan mountains of north Japan. I’m part of the Yamabushido team, and we host life-altering Yamabushi training on the Dewa Sanzan (website link). People come to us for the ultimate mindfulness experience, to reach the next level, or simply connect with nature and themselves.
I’m on a mission to summit all 100 Famous Mountains of Yamagata Prefecture to spread the splendour of this fabulous location, and in dedication to all those who lost their lives out in nature, including my father.
On my daily blog I post thoughts of a practicing Yamabushi that I hope people can use to better themselves and live as fulfilling a life as possible.
Sign up to the weekly Mountains of Wisdom newsletter, follow me on social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Clubhouse, all @kiwiyamabushi), or send me an email via the link below to stay in touch.
Tim.
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