Today’s mindset:
“Being in motion and taking action sound similar, yet they are different.”
Motion is when you’re busy doing something, but that task will never produce an outcome by itself.
Action, on the other hand, is the type of behavior that will get you a result.
If I outline 20 ideas for articles I want to write, that’s motion. If I actually write and publish an article, that’s action.
Why motion feels so good
Motion is seductive because it feels like progress without the risk. Researching another CRM, reorganizing your database, rewriting your listing presentation for the third time, sitting in on one more webinar. All of it feels productive. None of it puts a client in front of you.
Action is uncomfortable because it can fail. The call can go to voicemail. The recruit can say no. The listing appointment can go to someone else. Motion protects us from that rejection, which is exactly why we drift into it.
Motion vs. action in our business
- Motion: building a list of agents to recruit. Action: calling the first five on the list today.
- Motion: planning a sphere campaign. Action: sending the first ten personal notes.
- Motion: talking about a coaching program. Action: putting the first one-on-one on the calendar.
- Motion: reading about pricing strategy. Action: walking a seller through the numbers.
Motion isn’t bad. Some planning is necessary. The problem is when motion becomes a substitute for action instead of a short runway to it. I dug into this idea more recently in Busy Is Not the Same as Productive.
A simple test
At the end of each day, ask one question: What did I do today that could produce a result on its own? If the honest answer is “nothing,” you were in motion. Tomorrow, do the action first, before the email, before the admin, before the planning.
What action do you need to take today? (Hint for most of us: create 1 or more new appointments.)
Framework: This post is part of Action Produces Data, the coaching framework for consistent production: take the next right action, track it and let the results, not opinions, guide what you do next.
Want help applying this in your brokerage? Book a 30-minute conversation with Mark at calendly.com/mjsession.
2 thoughts to “Motion vs. Action”