Without action, all we are is words
Unbuzzing the buzzword: the importance of 'action'.
The word ‘action’ has suffered the same overexposure effects as a celebrity with an overzealous PR team. What was once a sparkly word—‘lights, camera, action!’—is now a hollowed-out and overused corporate buzzword, churned out in meeting rooms country-wide: action this, action that, action items, actions plans. In trying to make action a household name, the PR team unknowingly diluted its essence.
Action is an important word, and an even more powerful force. Both a noun and a verb, it’s the pulse of change, the rhythm of momentum, and the quiet force that turns optimism into hope. Action is tangible. Action is doing.
Without action, all we are is words.
“I cannot overstate the benefits of a busy day for an anxious mind or a lonely heart.”
— Edith 'Ditte' Thompson, in letter to Esme Nicholl Owen
in Pip Williams’ The Dictionary of Lost Words
Nothing cuts through anxiety, procrastination, sadness, uncertainty, work dilemmas or relationship troubles faster than action. Action is a solution. It’s movement, forward motion; it gets us unstuck. Even choosing to stand still can be a deliberate action.
To act is to engage, to connect, and to hope. When we’re low, depressed, or overwhelmed, we often stop acting—we become immobilised. But doing something is often what pulls us out of the fog. Action thwarts our fears and gives us a sense of purpose.
Even the smallest of actions can move us forward. Sometimes in life, small actions are all we have and we should never underestimate their importance.
Overwhelmed by how much you have to do? Just start one thing.
Feeling low? Tell someone.
Drifting apart? Hug.
Unsure? Ask.
Stuck? Move.
Absolutely exhausted? Sleep in. (Okay, that one’s flirting with the line but you get it.)
"Hope is a verb with its sleeves rolled up. Hopeful people are actively engaged in defying or changing the odds. Optimism leans back, puts its feet up, and wears a confident look."
— David Orr, environmentalist, activist, and author
Community action has overthrown dictators, changed the law and the vote. Action makes change—that’s why they’re called activists. One small, kind act can change a person’s mind. In fact, acts of moral beauty—seeing other people, even strangers, do kind and courageous things—are our most common sources of awe.1 We’re inspired by action—people doing something in the name of what’s right.
Whatever the situation, action is the best response. No action items or action plans needed—just one small, simple act that shifts the needle in the right direction.
Action quells. Action soothes. Action moves. The buzz of action can be enough to calm the busiest of minds, the loneliest of hearts, and unfreeze the most pro-of-crastinators.
Such is the essence of action.
“Action is the antidote to despair.”
— Joan Baez, singer, songwriter, musician and activist
Gordon, A. (2023, December 4). What’s the most common source of awe? Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/whats_the_most_common_source_of_awe