Small Deeds Trumps Great Plans

“Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” Peter Drucker

“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” John Lennon

“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” Woody Allen

How many times have you gone for a run, or workout, and thought “that stunk!” If you’re like me, it’s happened countless times. It’s so easy to beat ourselves up, but we need to focus on our consistency and following through – no matter how crappy we feel like our attempt was.

Before my grandmother died, she gave me a hand-written book of all her favorite sayings, stories and scriptures (Priceless right?!). I keep it out and read from of it on a regular basis. Today, I turned to this page (pictured here with pictures of the book and my grandmother). The saying was from Dr. Peter Marshall, a preacher and Chaplain of the United States Senate in 1947.

“Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.”

This quote got me thinking about all the great things I’ve wanted to do but didn’t do because I was putting it off for a “better time” – as if a better time will ever come.

Are you planning or doing?

A great example of this pattern is people who need to lose weight and get in shape. SO many people make the best plans. They choose a diet, join a gym, buy the perfect running shoes, get the best supplements – and then something gets in the way or the wait to get started. Unfortunately, most people don’t do anything at all if they can’t do it 100% but this little quote has a powerful punch, and reminds us that a little something done is better than anything you had planned but aren’t doing.

The same way I’ve heard people say there is no good time to have kids, there is no perfect time to start a diet or begin working out. The only right time to start is now. You will always be busy. Stuff will always come up. It will always be challenging, and it will never be any easier. If you have been putting stuff off because you didn’t feel you could give it 100%, don’t fool yourself into thinking doing nothing is better than doing something. Nothing is never better than something.

Whether you apply this to your personal life, spiritual life or physical body – it’s time to start doing what you can with the time you have now. If you don’t have the time to do what you want, then start thinking about what you CAN do – because nine times out of 10, you CAN do SOMETHING.

15-Minute Workout

If you can’t do a full workout, do this quick (but intense) 15-minute full body conditioning BCx workout with Steve:

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