Just Do It

Just Do It, delivered by Art Williams

The secret of getting ahead is getting started

Mark Twain

This is an inspirational speech by Art Williams around three simple words “Just Do It”. How often do we think about doing something instead of actually doing it?

There is the story often quoted by the personal finance blogger Ramit Sethi of a woman who wrote to him saying she dreams of going running 3x a week. When he suggested just getting started by going running 1x per week, her response was “What’s the point of that?”. Some people spend years dreaming of taking action, instead of actually getting started.

In my personal finance journey, I too spent some time reading and talking to others about getting started. Only once I actually started did I start to see results. In terms of finances, the cost of inaction far outweighs the risk of loss perceived in your mind that prevents you from getting started. Here is an example of the cost of not taking action:

I’ve prepared a summary of the best bit of Art William’s speech below:

What does a $500,000 year person do, that a $50,000 a year person doesn’t do? You look at the outside and study those two individuals, everything seems to be the same. They both are the same sex. They both are the same age. They have the same training, the same positions. The same contract. The same French benefits. They both are successful. They work hard. They’re good family people, make tough commitments. But what’s the difference? What does the $500,000 a year person do, the $50,000 a year person doesn’t do?

He pays the price of a little bit more. He works hard and a little bit more. He’s loyal to the company and a little bit more. He bleeds and a little bit more. He makes money and a little bit more. He saves money a little bit more.

If you want to win in these United States, you got to be tough, and you can’t quit.

And I found two things out about smart people. I think it’s almost impossible for a smart person to win in business in America today, because I find smart people spend their whole lifetime figuring things out. They always trying to figure out an easier way, and a quicker way. And another thing I found out about smart people, is they just don’t get around to doing nothing.

And see somebody like Art Williams, everybody said, “Well he can’t do it. Somebody like that can’t do it.” But he does it.

See folks, I want you to know almost everybody in America almost does enough to win. They almost get there. They almost are over the hump. They almost have it going. They almost, in everything they do, almost is a way of life to almost everybody in America. But the winners do it.

What do they do? They do whatever it takes to get the job done. They do it, and do it, and do it, and do it, and do it, until the job gets done. And then they talk about how great it is to be somebody they’re proud of.

Art Williams

Watch the speech on YouTube:

Action Tip: Think about the excuse you use that for keeps you from achieving your goal. What if you just did it, how would it change your life?

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