How many times have you heard someone look at the accomplishments of another and say, “Oh, I could do that”? Maybe you’ve said the same thing on occasion. Or maybe you’ve even thought, “Not only could I have done that, but I would have done it better too.”
And while this may indeed be true, there’s a big difference between being ‘capable’ of doing something, and actually doing it.
Sure, we may have the skill to do it. But skill alone is just a part of the equation. There’s also the choice to be proactive—to take the first step and get started—and to then stick with it until the end. And it’s these disciplines of starting and then sticking that are the hard part.
Which is why there’s a lot to be said for the person who chooses to get started and do something, refusing to be content with simply telling themselves all the things they could have done.
All of us have potential to do all kinds of things, but until we choose to start, it’s guaranteed they’ll remain undone.