As the countdown to commencement gets closer and closer (tomorrow I fly down to Dallas and officially begin this journey), a lot of people have been asking me some version of the same question: “Are you excited, Phil?” While my answer is always and genuinely in the affirmative, the truth of what I’m feeling is a lot more complicated than that.
It’s hard to overstate how unprecedented this upcoming experience will be for me. I’ve never done anything like this, nor has anyone close to me done something like this before. As I said in a previous post, “I’m releasing some things that were sure and certain in my life so that I can embrace whatever new opportunities God has in store for me.”
How does that make me feel? Depends on the exact moment, but lately I’ve been feeling any number of emotions: invigorated, inspired, curious, eager, nervous, anxious, afraid, humbled, proud, grateful, privileged, sentimental, motivated…
What’s really setting in for me now, and it’s a bit surreal, is the fact that this is no longer an idea or a distant event in the future. This is real. This is now. The day I’ve been thinking about and planning and preparing for since November 2019 is finally here. How can I describe the cocktail of emotions I’m feeling? Whatever you’d call this concoction, my amygdala has served me up a strong one!
But although I haven’t sold a home and left a job to travel the world and earn an advanced degree during a pandemic before (has anyone?), I remind myself that I have done new and challenging things before. And the lessons I’ve learned from those experiences will aid my success now.
Something else I’ve learned from working with and observing executives is the importance of shifting gears from planning to execution. The best leaders are able to recognize when it’s time to say, “The planning is done. No amount of additional prep work is going to change things.” They then have the courage to make their decision, commit to it, execute it as best they can, and accept the outcome.
On the eve of my new journey, this is the mentality I’m taking. The planning is done. My decision has been made. It has all been set in motion. Now is the time to dive in, to fully immerse myself in the experience, and soak up every bit of it. I have faith that everything will work out; and whatever the end result is, I will be better off for having gone through it. It’s go time!
Do you agree in the importance of shifting gears from planning to execution? What do you think holds people back from making a decision and committing to it? How do you overcome those hindrances? Comment below!
My MMIAM Journey 