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Have you ever had a great idea? Something very important? That you really wanted to accomplish? But you found yourself stuck. Perhaps procrastinating - pondering how to make it happen. So, you never got started. Sadly, time passed – and it never came to be? It’s a familiar story for so many people with seemingly great ideas and ambitions. But thankfully, there is a pretty straightforward – although not always easy - solution. The key is to just get started. Take that first step forward. Take action!
If you’re a regular reader of the Sunshine Report, you’re probably familiar with my great respect and admiration for the 26th president of the United States, Teddy Roosevelt. For those who aren’t, a good portion of my own personal philosophy and outlook on life is due to the wisdom and vision that he seemed to carry with him throughout his life. Importantly, there was a particular insight he once shared that I often think of and use, especially in difficult moments. It helps me not only make decisions – but it generates a positive power to get started and take action.
Roosevelt said: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” In other words, you will never find the perfect time or the perfect conditions to move forward. But that’s O.K. Just get started. Make the best of what you have and where you are – and good things will happen. It’s a particularly subtle phrase from a man who is so often quoted, but it’s a quote I believe to be one of his most powerful. It also has incredible staying power even in this day and age where the desire for perfection can sometimes hamper us from achieving our goals.
The value and power found in his words lies not with just ‘making due’ but with being resourceful and being able to maximize what we have in any situation. When we make the most of what we have, we not only tend to go above and beyond what we thought we were capable of, we also create opportunities that might have otherwise been overlooked. This helps encourage our own creativity and ingenuity. When we’re in a position where resources are limited, constraints often compel us to find solutions to problems we otherwise would not have come across. This can inspire innovation that itself leads to new opportunities.
Even further, by following Roosevelt’s philosophy, we also train ourselves to become more resilient and adaptable. As we each know, life can throw curve balls our way at any second, altering or even changing plans we had all together. But when we take a “do what you can” approach as I like to call it, we teach ourselves over time how to navigate challenges and setbacks. In doing so, we increase our chances of turning what may at first seem a negative into a net positive, all while fostering personal growth and continued self-improvement.
This isn’t to say that ‘doing what you can with what you have’ doesn’t require patience and some good old fashioned hard work, and there may even be days where you wonder if it’s even the right approach at all. But the truth is, oftentimes when we feel circumstances aren't ideal or we don’t have enough resources at our disposal or the work is too hard, inaction and procrastination can settle in, which have their own adverse effects. Even when we take small incremental steps, we’re still making progress. When we take those small steps, focus on what we have in front of us and stay determined even in the face of adversity, the real reward isn’t only what we gain when we’ve reached our goal, but the lessons we learn along the way.
Please a moment to think about a few key objectives you have in your life – even now – and see if by addressing them with a ‘do what you can, with what you have, where you are’ approach might just give you the progress and inspiration you need in finding success!
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