Day 84: On Work and Chatter
The only relationship between work and chatter is that one kills the other.
Let the others slap each other on the back while you’re back in the lab or the gym or pounding the pavement.
—Ryan Holiday 79
If you often talk about what you’re going to do instead of doing it, you’re not only wasting time you could have spent working on your goal, but also run the risk of not doing anything at all.
Self-congratulatory chatter carries with it the danger that you confuse it with what actually matters: work. Merely talking about your goals doesn’t turn you into a person who is working on them.
This phenomenon is most visible in entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs who talk the most are usually the ones doing the least. They attend every seminar, meet-up, workshop, and are heavy social media users, but when it comes to making actual progress with their business, somehow it slips between the cracks. Some of them don’t even have an actual business. They’re in a never-ending “research phase.”
But don’t worry, everybody thinks you’re taking a lot of action based on how much you talk about business and that’s what matters, right? Sadly, while it can gain you points for popularity among the gullible, it isn’t a substitute for work and achievement.
To ensure that you actually do the work and get the results, be cautious talking about your goals with others. Use a simple rule of thumb: if you’re talking merely to show off, save it. If you’re talking to gather valuable feedback or get support, do it, but what’s more important, actually act on the advice you receive.