This week isn’t over yet, but it’s already taught me a valuable lesson. It’s not a new lesson to many of us, yet it’s one we often overlook. A lesson we take lightly, even though implementing it brings significant change. This lesson is simple:
Just do it
Over the course of three different days, three separate instances occurred, each delivering the same message. It was as if life itself was trying to drill this into my mind—stop overthinking, stop hesitating, and just take action..
I can only clearly recall two instances (my memory and I are going through a phase, so we’ll need our privacy while we sort things out—don’t pry).
The first instance involves work. On Monday, I needed to respond to an email, but I had to gather some information first. By Tuesday morning, a little voice in my head said, “Send the email now.” I replied, “I’ll send it before the morning ends.” But I procrastinated.
As the day went on, I got caught up in other tasks. Guess who got a nudge on the same subject a few minutes before the morning ended? Yup, me! Instant regret. If I’d sent that email earlier, I wouldn’t have felt like responding now was just eye service.
The second instance is from my personal life.
Yesterday, Wednesday, I planned to do something nice for a friend. I wanted to bake my go-to pastry and surprise them the next day, especially since they were feeling under the weather. It would show I’ve been thinking of them, so instead of calling to check in, I settled on this thoughtful gesture.
Did it happen? No. Instead, I decided to finish editing some videos, which had been pending and long overdue. But to avoid feeling like I was completely abandoning the thought, I bought the ingredients and told myself I’d bake the next day and deliver it on Friday! Did I call, though? Nope—got caught up in my own stuff.
Now, guess who showed up unexpectedly the next day? Yeah, you’re right. I felt bad. Thankfully, they’re not the type to bottle things up, but I’m the kind who gets really awkward in these situations. Even if I had an explanation, it would sound like an excuse (I’d feel the same if I were in their shoes). So, instead of explaining, I said nothing, which probably came across as if I didn’t care. The solution would’ve been simple: just say sorry. But in the moment, I didn’t even think of that.
Anyway, the lesson here is clear: if you get the strong urge to do something nice, productive, or meaningful—something that aligns with your values—just do it. Avoid the regret I’m feeling right now.
