Chapter 25
ACTIONS in Public and Private
Construction Stage 3.2 Concrete, steel, wood, glass, brick, mortar, and drywall
SAL Model Stage 3.2 Self-Action in Public
Construction Stage 3.3 Plumbing, electrical wiring, HVAC, and insulation
SAL Model Stage 3.3 Self-Action in Private
Even the best blueprints are nothing more than paper and ink until someone starts to animate them with action. Likewise, to realize your potential as a self-action leader, YOU must ACT.
Action spells the difference between success and failure, progress and stagnation, achievement and entropy. Action is what separates those who courageously traverse the thoroughways of growth and those who plod along the pathways of mediocrity.
"When all is said and done, more is usually said than done."
—Lou Holtz
Sadly, Coach Holtz is right—most people tend to talk more than they act when it comes to just about everything in their lives.
But self-action leaders are different.
Self-action leaders ACT more than they talk, and they always back up their talk with ACTION.
There are two kinds of ACTION: public actions and private actions. In the SAL construction metaphor, public actions refer to the things we say and do in view of others. Such actions are analogous to building a skyscraper's exterior with materials such as: precast concrete, steel, wood, glass, brick, stone, mortar, drywall, paint, et cetera—those parts of a building that will be either structurally essential or readily visible to the public after the building is finished.
Private actions refer to the things we think about, say, and do when no one else is looking. Such actions are analogous to building a skyscraper's interior, which includes: plumbing, electrical wiring, HVAC, and insulation—those parts of a building that will eventually be hidden from the public view.
Every ACTION—including thoughts, words, and deeds—you take as a self-action leader matters.
Why?
"To every action there is an
equal and opposite reaction."
—Isaac Newton
While Newton's famous THIRD LAW of MOTION may apply more perfectly and precisely in the natural world than the human and social world, it remains a general truism in every aspect of our lives, and serves to remind us that everything we do (and don't do) carries consequences—whether we know it or not and whether we like it or not.
Some of our decisions will be made in public for others to see. But many, and perhaps most, of our actions will occur beyond the purview of other people. This does not make them any less important. In fact, in some ways it makes them even more important. After all, no sensible human being is going to ignore the important—even essential—need and value of indoor plumbing, electrical wiring, HVAC, and insulation in any modern skyscraper.
Of all the things Young said that day, ONE thing in particular was forever burned into my long-term memory. He told us that no matter how famous, rich, or successful a person may become, the majority of their time will still be spent away from the cameras and onlooking eyes of other people.
Young went on to describe the countless hours he spent as a kid and teenager throwing a football through an old tire in the backyard of his parent's home in Connecticut. According to Young, most of the efforts and sacrifices he made to become a professional football player were made out of the sight of others, and every single one of them contributed to the fame, honor, riches, and success he eventually earned on the gridiron as a football player and off the field as an author, Juris Doctor, and on-air sports personality and commentator.
And that is to say nothing of his wonderful family.
Young was trying to teach us that what YOU and I do in PRIVATE really matters, because it will have a tremendous effect (for good or ill) on what happens to us in PUBLIC. It is one of the great lessons that Stephen R. Covey so often taught in his work: that private victories always precede public victories. (1)
"Private victories always precede Public victories."
—Stephen R. Covey
Private victories lead to the establishment of strong character and reliable integrity. The time and effort you invest in developing an integrity-based character will tremendously influence both your private and public actions. When you have integrity, you do your best and choose the right whether anyone else is looking on—or not—and you do it for three distinct reasons.
FIRST, you do your best and choose the right because you understand that everything hidden eventually comes to light in one way (and at one time) or another.
SECOND, and much more importantly, you do your best and choose the right because it's the right thing to do, and it would pain your conscience far too much to do anything otherwise.
THIRD, you do your best and choose the right because you understand that unresolved issues and problems only get worse over time. Thus, by the time a private problem becomes public, it's usually much larger and more embarrassing and difficult to fix than if you had just addressed the matter privately while it was still small.
By identifying, troubleshooting, and solving private problems before they become public, self-action leaders can save themselves from a heap of heartache and hurt.
To reiterate the words of Ezra Taft Benson, a member of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Presidential Cabinet from 1953-1961: It is better to prepare and prevent than it is to repair and repent. (2)
"It is better to prepare and prevent than it is to repair and repent."
—Ezra Taft Benson
Using Time Wisely
Your power to ACT is aided by your possession of TIME.
"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of."
—Benjamin Franklin
Time is a great existential equalizer.
It doesn't care if you are tall or short, rich or poor, enslaved or free, healthy or sick, old or young, male or female, Black or white, Asian, Hispanic, or an Islander. No matter who you are (or aren't) everyone gets exactly 24 hours of time every day of their lives.
As my older brother Joe—a philosophical fellow like myself—once remarked: "If there is one thing I am absolutely certain of, it's the onward march of time."
Joe is right...
TIME is sovereign over our lives, and there is nothing we can do about its certain passage—as well as our certain passage, in due time.
Given this fact and reality, the lingering question at hand should always be very simple and straightforward as follows: What are you going to do with the time you have been given?
What are YOU going to DO with the TIME you have been given?
In addition to our sure knowledge that our time in this world is limited, we also have no idea how much of it we each have left. You might have 50 more years, 50 more days, or 50 more hours. None of us ever knows for sure precisely when our mortal lives will end. We only know that eventually it will end—at least in a physical, mortal sense as we know and understand ourselves in this world.
Unlike money and other resources, you cannot buy or trade for more time—although wise choices and healthy habits increase your potential to maximize whatever time you have been allotted.
Self-action leaders inherently value time and seek to use it efficiently, effectively, positively, productively, and wisely. They want to build relationships and achieve things that they (and others) will be proud of. They also want to serve and benefit others in ways that will leave a lasting legacy that will positively reverberate in the lives of others for generations to come after they have passed away.
Time is the universal canvas upon which we each paint our lives.
What colors and styles will you use?
When you someday complete your painting, will it be beautiful or drab, memorable or meaningless, fabulous or forgettable?
I hope the painting of your life will prove to be YOUR own personal masterpiece—your magnum opus. And I hope further that it will be equal to your boundless capacity and endless potential as a human being.
Motivation Drives Action and Action Drives Motivation
For example, you are motivated to eat because your physical body feels hungry or because your mind is bored or your emotions are negatively agitated. You are motivated to go to work because you have bills to pay and/or because want to excel and be recognized for your education, effort, skills, and talents. You are motivated to go see a movie, play, or sporting event because you want to relax, be entertained, or fuel your competitive spirit.
Some actions, however—like doing what is right when you don't feel like it—require a Kantian good will to engage and complete.
 |
| Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790 |
"Well begun is half done."
—Benjamin Franklin
The truth of this statement is not found in its literal interpretation: starting a task does not mean the job is 50% complete. But it does mean that taking ACTION generates momentum, power, and motivation that you did not originally possess (feel).
I have discovered a practical application of this truism in the art of getting up in the morning. As I previously mentioned, I am not a morning person, naturally speaking. Indeed, I dislike getting out of bed most mornings; chances are good that YOU can relate!
However, after the first several minutes (or occasionally hours) of misery have passed and I'm fully awake, I'm usually okay—sometimes for the rest of the day and well into the evening. I confess that more often than not, I find that I—like Winston Churchill and others—need at least one nap to help me get through my day, and I don't like waking up from naps either! Nevertheless, once I am passed those initially onerous moments of somnolent lethargy, I do eventually come alive and get back into the swing of things.
A lot of things in life operate in much the same manner.
We aren't always initially motivated to do something; but ACTION is a natural elixir that tends to increase our motivation once we are fully engaged in an activity or task.
For my entire mission, I almost always dreaded tracting. It was, in many ways, the least pleasant task I did as a missionary. Despite doing a lot of tracting on my mission (12 hours per week for 2 straight years), I can't remember a single day when I felt a natural inclination or inherent motivation to go tracting.
Nevertheless, despite my natural—and lingering—aversion to canvassing, cold calling, direct sales, or anything similar, I successfully completed over a thousand hours of door-to-door proselying during my 2-year missionary service.
That's a lot of door-knocking!
In conjunction with our tracting efforts, we also did a lot of "Street Contacting," which was essentially the same thing as tracting, but instead of knocking on people's home doors, we would approach them on a street corner, sidewalk, parking lot, et cetera when we were out and about in public.
Between tracting and street contacting, I spoke to many thousands of complete strangers over the course of my two-year missionary service. These duties were hard for me, and I didn't particularly like either of them, but I managed to complete the tasks anyway.
So, what is the point of this story?
While I never learned to inherently enjoy or love tracting or street contacting, I discovered something interesting about both activities. My dread of starting out was almost always more odious and unpleasant than actually doing it. In other words, the simple act of STARTING produced a measure of motivation that made it seem not as bad as I always feared it would be. This self-produced motivation in-turn provided me with the momentum I needed to complete my assigned allotment of tracting each day and week.
This doesn't mean I grew to enjoy or love tracting; believe me, I never did!
Nevertheless, by simply willing myself to ACT, I was able to successfully fulfill my most difficult and unpleasant duties and obligations as a missionary. This was important to me because these actions were aligned with my faith in and love of God and mankind, whom I believe are my spiritual kin. In the process, I had many wonderful adventures, made many special memories, faced my fears, developed personal confidence, and met a whole host of interesting and unique people with whom I had a variety of mutually-beneficial conversations.
And a few of them even became permanent friends!
By applying this same Kantian Good Will to other areas of my life (including my education, career, relationships, physical fitness, emotional intelligence, etc.) I've been similarly empowered to push through difficult and unsavory tasks to earn the achievement and satisfaction that can only come after my willingness to sacrifice my time and effort on the altar of the less-desirable, but necessary tasks.
The point is this...
If you don't feel like doing something you know you should do, then will yourself to ACT until you do feel like it. Movement produces momentum, which, in-turn maximizes motivation and promotes progress. If you are willing to push through the initial pain, you'll find that even the most burdensome and unpleasant tasks usually aren't as bad as you thought they would be prior to starting.
 |
| Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790 |
I often do!
Whether it is cleaning the bathroom, washing the dishes, vacuuming the car, or tracting as a missionary, I always end up enjoying various aspects of every activity I initially dread—but the enjoyment comes only after I am busily engaged in the task. As a result, such activities rarely turn out to be as unpleasant as I envisioned them prior to getting started. Perhaps this is precisely why Poor Richard quipped that: well begun in half done.
"Well begun is half done."
—Benjamin Franklin
Life is a lot like a sporting event or an athletic season.
In sports, momentum isn't created so much by the pregame pep talk or timeout team huddle as it is by making actual physical progress on the court/field/rink/track/etc. It is tangible, positive results that create momentum, which, in-turn, often leads to productivity, progress, and eventually victory.
For example: nothing spurs momentum like scoring. However, you can't score a point or make positive progress without first taking ACTION.
In life, as in sports, taking action usually carries a measure of risk that you might falter, fail, lose, or even embarrass yourself. Thus, to succeed in scoring a point or realizing any other positive objective, you must be willing to face any fears of failure that may be preventing you from taking action.
That requires COURAGE.
But remember: Courage is not the absence of fear; it is action in the face of fear. As the famous Western actor, John Wayne, once personally put it: courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.
"Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway."
—John Wayne
The same principle holds true for turning around negative results. You have to first take courageous and corrective actions in the present if you want to obtain positive results in the future. It doesn't do any good to keep moving forward if you are on the wrong road or traveling in the wrong direction. You must first get your bearings, reorient yourself, turn around, and begin making progress in the right direction—it is the only way to eventually arrive at your desired destination.
Given: it takes COURAGE to do that. But oftentimes the courage to act is the only way up and out of a dilemma, problem, or snafu.
So, what are you waiting for?
Get moving, and in the words of Nike:
Just
Do
It!
In Your Journal
To what extent do your private thoughts speech, and actions match up with your public speech and actions? Are there any discrepancies between the two? Spoiler alert: YOU are human, so the answer is YES! Journal on this subject by identifying at least ONE key mismatch between your private and public actions, and what you are willing to do to strengthen your integrity by closing this gap beginning today.
What is something you could do TODAY (or before the end of the week) to exercise greater discipline and/or integrity in your private actions?
What is something you could do TODAY (or before the end of the week) to exercise greater kindness, consideration, compassion, or fairness in your public actions?
What is an action (private or public) you know you need to take, but have been procrastinating out of fear or laziness? Journal about this and then will yourself to take ACTION before the day (or week) is out.
—Dr. JJ
Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
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Chapter 25 Notes
1. Covey, S.R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York, NY: Fireside.
2. Benson, E.T. (1987). The Law of Chastity. Address delivered at Brigham Young University on October 13, 1987.
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