Get Stuff Done: Do You Do the Do?

Last week, I wrote about how it's not about what you know but about what you do. So how do you "do the do?" I suddenly I'm craving soda, and I don't know why.

When I think about what it takes to do something, there are three components: your mindset, skill set, and toolset.

Having the right mindset is essential for success. It's not just about having a positive attitude but also being willing to take risks and challenge yourself to reach your goals. With the right and healthy mindset, you believe that you have the ability to learn, grow and develop with effort and practice over time. People with this kind of outlook are more likely to persist in facing difficulty and failure because they understand it's all part of learning and improving. 

They also tend to be more open-minded, creative problem solvers who can adapt quickly when faced with new challenges or obstacles. Let's say you believe an old dog can't learn new tricks… how successful will you be? I'm reminded of a story from when I was in elementary school, but there was a song that went something like this, "I may be old and so I'm told, buuuuuut I can still do many things." Who do you think has the right mindset?

Having the right skill set is also essential. It involves a combination of technical expertise, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving capabilities. Recently I started making sourdough bread because I've wanted to since 2020. For anyone who has attempted to do this, you know how tricky it is in the beginning. The dough keeps sticking to your hands, the shape is weird, and it may look funny when it's done. The problem? I haven't developed the right technique. Now, there may not be interpersonal skills involved with bread baking (although some people do talk to their starter. I'm not that level of crazy… yet). Still, there are definitely problem-solving skills that develop through making mistakes. 

Finally, having the right toolset also plays a critical role in success. I was trying to put together a bookshelf over the holidays. It's one of those where you can use a screwdriver for most of it, but the back needs to be nailed in. I couldn't find my hammer, so I tried to hammer it in with my screwdriver. It took way longer than needed, but I eventually got it in. Unfortunately, I put it on backward. So not only did I take an extra long to complete the job, I did it wrong! This actually isn't even the worst-case scenario. In some cases, if you don't have the right tools, the job can't be done at all.

So first off, what is this thing you want to do? Do you have the right mindset, skill set, and toolset to do it? If so, I'm so happy for you! If not, it's ok, now is the time to reflect and pivot. As I showed above, not all three need to be good, but you'll be hindered in many ways if not. I would argue that mindset, skill set, and toolset should be prioritized. Meaning that if you have the right mindset, you can get past less-than-ideal skills or not having the right tools.

However, it doesn't matter how good your skills or tools are if you have a bad mindset. The results won't be great. That's also true between skill set and tool set. If you have good skills, you can make do with tools that maybe aren't right for the job. I could hammer a tiny nail into the bookshelf because my skills were good enough. However, if you have the right tool but lack the skills, the tool can only do so much for you.

So how are things lining up for you? I'd love to hear from you!

Kevin helps people gain clarity on what they want in life, craft a plan, and support in the execution of the plan while sharpening his mind, skills, and tools. Contact him at kevinkoocoaching@gmail.com or book a call at https://calendly.com/kevinkoocoaching/cvforum