116. Four Questions to Consider Before You Take Action
Summary
Wanting to make an impact is amazing! Action for action’s sake, however, is unproductive. Before attempting to create change, imperfect allies need to first get clear on their motivations, their timing, and the intended beneficiaries of their efforts.
Erica returns with a swift solo conversation to provide four foundational questions for everyone to ask before moving into action.
In this discussion:
Values as the standard by which all actions are measured
The perils of fear-based motivation
Timing and the benefit of long-term efforts over scattered acts
Connecting the steps and sustaining momentum
Keep The Dialogue Going
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Article
We see it all the time from Pause On The Play clients, community members, social followers, and newsletter recipients: people want to make changes. “They want to do shit differently,” Erica says. “They want to break the mold. They want to make an impact by doing things that have not been done in this way, which means the impact has not been created that way.”
We’re thrilled to see these change-makers-in-training excited, charging ahead with questions like: What do you think? How do I do this? When can I start? However… While she appreciates the desire to do more, Erica offers a caveat. “I am not for action just for action's sake.” If you’re making moves without intentionally, clarity, and concrete goals in mind, “I'm always like, why are we doing this?”
To better channel that early-stage excitement into impactful, actionable steps, Erica has created four questions that will help imperfect allies break the cycle of having to for action’s sake. “The minute we start putting shoulds on shit, we know what happens - it don't work out real well. So, I want to prompt you with a few things for you to consider so that you know that your intentionality is intact and that your actions are actually going to hit the mark.”
Side note: If you normally address questions like the following internally, privately (always a good thing!), those with teams will find that there’s a lot of power in welcoming those team members into this process.
#1 - Does your action reflect your values? Your values are the standard through which you measure everything. Do your intentions reflect what you say matters to you? If your answer can't make it through that filter or doesn’t align with those values, that’s the first red flag. “If we don't have the clarity of knowing that this somehow has a purpose that intersects with these values, we’re not doing this. Period.” The values filter needs to be in place first and foremost.
As an example, let’s say you’re supporting cats. Great! Love cats! Okay… so why are you putting up dog appreciation posts if you’ve made it clear that cats are your thing? Of course, your cat support doesn’t mean you’re not for dogs but imagine your audience’s confusion when all of a sudden you start talking about dogs. “I want you to make sure that you're supporting the things that you support and that you're still amplifying other things that matter to you as well. But, it should always go back to your values.”
#2 - Is your action rooted in fear? Are you making this decision because you don't want to get canceled? You don't want to get in trouble? Are you doing it because you're afraid of someone passing judgment on you, determining your worth based on your actions or lack thereof? Are you fearful because you think you’re not making changes fast enough?
“Give yourself that space to understand that this is a process, and it takes time to get there. Things will not be perfect every step of the way.” Erica reminds us to ground ourselves back in the fact that we are making an impact and in order for impact to be long-lasting and sustainable, “we cannot rush, and we cannot react from a place of fear.”
#3 - When is the next best time for you to take action? Timing is everything - so is meaningful amplification. “I actually don't advocate for being so heavily into this this month or this week or this day is about this thing ‘cause then what about the rest of the month? What about the rest of the year?” asks Erica. “I don't like the idea that these things are only valid at this one specific time, and the rest of the year, we just go back to business as normal. Nope.”
Erica challenges us to consider the next best time we can amplify, for example, a favorite Black entrepreneur, or Trans history-maker, or LatinX non-profit,? In doing so, you’ll create a more sustainable, meaningful timeline. “So, really looking at that place of, like, oh, so if I can do it in these other places, then that means I can do this consistently; I can do this as a regular part of how I operate.” Ding! Ding! Ding! Winner! “That's what I'm looking for. That is what impact is looking for. That's the goal.”
#4 - Who does your intended action support? Often we feel as though we have to do things, but we don't have clarity around the people or communities, or organizations our actions are supposedly supporting. How do they benefit from it? What is the thing outside of ourselves that our effort is rooted in?
If you're not clear on that, then you do need to pause and ask yourself that question because “action for action's sake will not get you the desired outcome.” Instead, Erica says, “That will get you a lot of busy work and a lot of hurt feelings and lost momentum because you will, all of a sudden, recognize ‘I have not done what I really wanted to do; I have not moved forward the way that I really want it to. And now, I don't know if I can move anymore.’”
That’s getting stuck. That’s being inactive.
Inactivity benefits no one. Those who may benefit from your imperfect actions “don't have the leisure of waiting for you to be able to work through that and figure out how to get going again, so let's do everything we can to try to avoid that. Proactively.”
Short. Simple. Significant. When imperfect allies pause to consider Erica’s four thoughtful questions, they’ll find themselves in a place where their actions won’t come off as haphazard or half-baked. “That also makes sure that you're not doing things that aren't connected,” Erica says, “because you do want to consolidate your efforts...If you're cleaning the house and it's like, I'm going to pick up one thing here and go into this room, and I'm gonna make like a corner of the bed, but then I'm gonna go back over here and wash one glass in the kitchen, you're not going to go anywhere. That's not how you clean your house. It's also not how you make impact.”
Quoted
Erica Courdae
“Your values are the standard through which you measure everything.”
“If we don't have the clarity of knowing that this somehow has a purpose that intersects with these values, we’re not doing this. Period.”
“We cannot rush and we cannot react from a place of fear.”
“Action for action’s sake will not get you the desired outcome.”