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All action is not the same. Simply having a thought and acting on it is what I call superficial action. It will make you feel like you are doing something, but it is rarely helpful.
For example, recent research has demonstrated that deliberate practice contributes very little to success at all. In fact, it contributes only about 4 percent to all the reasons for success in education; and for success at one's job, it contributes less than 1 percent. To truly be successful, we need what I call "deep action." You know when you are acting deeply when you feel like you are being moved, rather than just being effortful about your own movement.
You may hear successful people attribute their success to hard work and repeated practice, but there are plenty of people who work hard and practice their crafts, yet never move the needle on their life's ambitions. In fact, grit correlates very poorly with success. It's not enough.
There are several factors that increase the chances of deep action. These include being inspired, feeling internally congruent, and feeling connected to a larger whole. We often avoid or ignore these states, because they are so abstract, difficult to grasp, and it seems as if there is no process that we can follow to access or achieve these states of mind. Yet, this is precisely what will add heft and ease to our actions.
Say, for example, you want to develop a startup. Simply brainstorming, employing design thinking, or following someone else's advice for success might make you feel good, but they are all double-edged swords. Brainstorming can lead to groupthink and make us lose the power of individual ideas.
Design thinking can make us forget that expertise matters. And simply following experts can dull down our own brains too. To appreciate the full depth of your capability, you need to step away from concrete processes and embrace your own complexity and paradoxes.
Your brain is a dynamic system with many things going on at the same time. Shutting off most of it and focusing on one thing may sound appealing, but it's actually the opposite of intelligence. Inspiration, congruence, and feeling connected to a "whole" will all open up a world within that will allow you to access the many neural circuits that are metaphorically buzzing at the same time. In a sense, it awakens the orchestra of your mind and takes you out of the "acapella" mode.
Another way to think of "deep action" is to think of it as "awakened action." For example, when people use LSD, they sometimes experience an awakening. This awakening correlates with being in a state of mind where many neural states can be accessed. In this state of mind, the usual patterns of thinking and boundaries that prevent them from advancing disappear. They become less constrained and are able to unleash many of the forces required for deep action.
However, say that you don't want to start off by using a drug. How else can you access these states of mind that allow for deep action? Paradoxically, the key to deep action is that you give up on asking "how?" Rather, you ask what is standing in the way of your inspiration, congruence, and feeling connected to the whole. Below are three factors that are often in the way of these deep action mindsets.
1. Being on the go
Being on the go makes you feel like you are doing something, but it is really more like spinning your wheels. You need to build time in your day to deliberately do nothing.
For example, positive, constructive daydreaming, a form of mind-wandering while you are doing something low key, will help your brain become more creative and refreshed when you do act. It's like refueling your brain so that you can have enough gas in the tank when you do need to act. This kind of mental rest is necessary if you are to access deep action. Being on the go all the time does not help.
2. Living to fit in
Paradoxically, living to fit in and be normal will limit creative action. You may feel more stable and be perceived as such, but you will lose a certain openness to experience that is necessary for creative action. Without this, it is difficult to be inspired.
3. Virtue signaling and fake apologies
Most people believe that they are virtuous and moral, yet the average person is far less so that they think. Sometimes we make mistakes, and we may believe that apologizing for this mistake is enough, but it's not. Sincerity matters. And the paradox of it all is that morality actually fuels aggression, conflict, and violence. It far from inspires congruent action.
Once you identify these factors and surrender to unfocused time, living as yourself, and accepting your paradoxes, the next step is to ponder the difference between the small "i' and the big "I." The small "i" is the you that is defined by your body, location, and time. The big "I" is the you that deeply recognizes that you live in a context that shapes who you are as you shape it.
To help your big "I" awaken, find a context that is awe-inspiring. Awe is powerful. A tumultuous ocean, rolling landscape, towering trees, animals in the wild, or a gymnastic feat can all inspire awe. In fact, awe is what underlies the effects of classic psychedelic-assisted therapy. It diminishes the voice of the small self. As a result, you feel more connected.
Awe is a much ignored collective emotion that breaks down the barriers between you and everything around you. In this state, deep action arises. Awe takes your brain beyond regular focus and mind wandering into a higher level of deep awareness. Self-reflection disappears as you merge with your surroundings. As you let go of yourself, your brain's attentional apparatus is sharper than it ever was.
When you act, ask yourself, "Am I engaged in deep action?" If you're not, see what is in your way and jump-start your way to deep action by planning an experience of awe.
