Execution: The Mark of a Man

Over the past couple days, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with some men that I really admire for how they show up in this world and the level of success they’ve been able to reach in their perspective field.

I had the chance to meet Cameron Hanes, an Under Armor athlete and avid bow hunter, Tony Sentmanat with Real World Tactical, Neal Curry with Ready Gunner, and UFC Fighter, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.

These guys are all masters of their craft and I can tell you that there is one thing that separates them from the rest of the pack – it’s the one thing that separates all successful men from the rest.

That is the ability to take action. The ability to execute. The ability and desire to get their hands dirty.

I want to come straight out and ask you, are you willing to execute? Are you willing to get your hands dirty? Are you willing to step into the ring?

Brothers, you’d better be. Because, if you want to reach that potential, if you really want to have a killer relationship with your wife, if you really want to connect with your kids, if you really want to build up that bank account, if you really want to lose that gut, if you really want to start that business, if you really want to whatever, you had better be willing to get bruised, beat up, and dirty by fighting for the things you want most in this life.

I’ve met a lot of talkers. I’ve met a lot of guys who have some big dreams. I’ve met a lot of guys who talk a mean game. I’ve been one of those guys myself. That’s behind me because, I know that if I want to go big in this life, I’m going to have to show up big.

And, that’s what I want to talk with you about today.

Gentlemen, we have enough talkers. We have enough dreamers. We have enough visionaries.

I’m not even down playing the importance of those types of people – we need them. But if the world’s biggest dreamers don’t do anything with that knowledge and those inspirations and those ideas, non of it means a thing!

If you cannot turn insights into action, what good are those insights in the first place? What good is it having you around?

This is why I say execution is the mark of a man. It’s manly to execute. It’s manly to get the job done.

But, I know as I talk about this, someone is going to say to me, “Ryan, not every man is the doer. Some guys are the visionaries. Some guys are the dreamers.”

I understand that. I’m not even telling you that you have to execute in every single capacity in which you show up. But, I am telling you that you are going to have to step up to the plate and find someone who will get the job done and partner with them or you’re going to have to do the work yourself.

So, I want to talk with you briefly about a four-part system I’ve been thinking a lot about lately because this is going to help a lot of you guys with the ability to face the fear that’s been keeping them back and allow them to engage in the work that is going to move the needle in the right direction.

Let’s break this down.

Examine

The first step toward taking more action in your life – execution – is to examine. It’s to think about what it is you actually want.

Action for action’s sake is inefficient work and a waste of time. Consider what it is you really want. If you can’t figure that out, don’t move on to taking action because it’s a lot like running around in circles with no clear destination.

Estimate

Phase two in this process is to figure out what you’re actually going to do. What is the plan of action?

If the first step is the “what,” this second step is the “how.”

How are you going to go about taking action. What are you going to do first? What are you going to do second? What resources do you need? Who do you need to bring in?

Now, a lot of guys get stuck in this phase, because they think everything has to be perfect. It doesn’t! Perfect is a myth. Perfect is a trap. Perfect doesn’t even exist.

All you have to do is make an educated guess about what you think will work. If you were using the scientific method, this would be your hypothesis.

And, if you think of it like this – like an experiment – being wrong isn’t going to be that big of a deal. It’s an experiment.

Tim Ferriss talks a lot about his life as an experimentation. And, I can tell you that the dude has failed at times in his life but he doesn’t allow that fear of failure to keep him from the third step. It’s just a test.

Execute

The third step is to execute. It’s too engage. It’s to do the work. It’s to put your theory to the test.

It’s to ask that woman on a date. It’s to ask for that raise. It’s to start that business. It’s to ask for the sale. It’s to step into the gym. It’s to make that investment. It’s to sign up to coach your kids’ team.

It doesn’t even need to be life-changing, earth shattering work. That’s a huge misconception. It needs to be the first step.

You need to create victories and momentum and you do that by winning small, seemingly insignificant victories with fear and indecision.

You do that enough – compound enough of those victories together – and you will win, whatever winning looks like for you.

I know this can be tough. I know it’s scary to step into the unknown but you’ve got to decide if you are a man. And, if you are then I’m telling you that you have to plant that flag of masculinity and decide today that men are doers, that we take action, and that we get the job done.

Evaluate

Here’s how you’re going to have the courage to do that. You’re going to have the courage to take the action you’ve previously been afraid to take because you know what the fourth step is – evaluate.

You’re going to go back at the end of the day, the project, the activity, the conversation and you’re going to evaluate if it worked.

If it didn’t, no big deal, because you’re going to go back to the drawing board, draft up a new battle plan and go through the process again.

If it works, outstanding, do it again.

As I look around and I see these successful men at the SHOT Show, I can’t help but think that this strategy in some shape or form has helped them succeed at high levels and it will help you succeed at high levels too.

Examine, estimate, execute, and evaluate. That is the process - the formula - for getting the job done. And, as a man, it is your responsibility to get the job done.