When we think about doing something to make a positive change or to be helpful, it’s nice, but it doesn’t make a difference. It doesn’t matter what the thing is that we do. It could be shoveling snow from a neighbor’s walkway or starting an after-school program for at-risk kids. It’s the doing that matters. It’s also more important to finish something small than to leave something significant incomplete. It’s what Seth Godin calls “shipping.”

I get stuck, frustrated, and uncertain about my life's direction, and that’s all fine as long as I keep doing it. So I keep reading, researching, and writing because the one thing I’m certain about is that if I don’t do it, then nothing will happen.

I saw a new TED video by Clay Shirky today. He talked about harnessing people’s spare time. He says whether we’re creating LOL Cats or open-source technology that changes the world, as long as we’re creating something, we’re making a contribution that the gap between doing and not doing is much larger than the gap between doing something sort of lame and doing something great.

Less thinking and more action! Go help somebody or make something!

“Give me a lever long enough … and single-handed I can move the world” Archimedes