209. Bias for Action
Do you ever get stuck in planning mode? Lots of big ideas and brilliant plans, but then you have a hard time making it happen?
Yeah, me too.
That’s why in this week’s episode of Satisfied AF, we’re talking all about “bias for action.”
I’ll be honest - I wasn’t super excited about this concept when I first learned about it. But over the years, I’ve realized it’s is deeply powerful for creating change in your life, especially for those of us (like me) who can get lost in the dreaming and visioning.
Whether you want to start a business, build a family, or just redecorate your living room, bias for action can help you turn your ideas into realities.
Want customized support creating your wildly delicious life? Let’s hop on a free consultation call.
I’ll help you understand the blockers you’re facing and how to handle them moving forward. And I’ll share how a three-month 1:1 coaching package could supercharge your progress as well as your satisfaction.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
What "bias for action" means and how it can revolutionize your approach to personal and professional goals.
Why you get stuck in overthinking and how to move forward instead.
Real-life examples of how action creates learning and progress—even if it's messy.
Why action is sometimes the fastest way to overcome fear and gain clarity.
LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:
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FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
This week, we're talking about bias for action.
The Satisfied AF podcast is the place to learn how to create a life and career that’s wildly delicious. Want a steamier sex life? We’ve got you. Want a more satisfying career? We’ll cover that too. And you can be sure we’ll spend lots of time talking about how to build connected, fun relationships that can handle life’s ups and downs. No matter what goals you’re working on, this show will help you create a one of a kind life that is just right for you. Join me, life and career coach Kori Linn and each week I’ll give you lots of practical tips, tools, and proven strategies to help you create all the satisfaction your heart desires.
Hello, hello, hello. Today, we're talking about a concept that I learned from my girlfriend, Alex, and she learned it from when she worked at Amazon, because it's one of their leadership principles. Now, I do think it's important that I say there are certain things about how Amazon does business that I don't appreciate, but for the purposes of this podcast, we're just going to pull out this one concept and talk about it, because I think it can be really useful if applied thoughtfully.
So the concept is called bias for action. And if you've never heard this term before, you might be wondering, what does that even mean? Well, let me tell you, a bias for action is all about choosing doing versus planning, thinking about it, strategizing, researching.
It doesn't mean no researching. It doesn't mean no forethought about what you're going to do. It simply means a willingness to make educated guesses and to take action before you have every single piece of information. And I think it's interesting because it's not just about speed. I do think there's an element of that, but I think it's actually about, well, you know, I've never worked on Amazon, so I don't know what it's actually about for them, but for me, and the way I've learned it from Alex, it's about taking action and then learning what you can learn from the action, and often there's things we can only learn from action.
So many of us spend a lot of time in our heads, including me. We're planning, strategizing, weighing options, fantasizing, and trying to figure out the right thing to do. But sometimes we get so caught up in all of that thinking that we don't actually do anything.
And I'm going to be really honest with you. I actually don't think I have a very strong bias for action. I think Alex has a very strong one. I think she's willing to just get started and try things. That's often how she's doing her home renovation and home improvement projects. She just starts doing stuff. Maybe she watches a few YouTube videos. So again, it's not about, like, zero research. It's just about having that bias for taking action.
Whereas I think, I want to read a couple books, and then I want to think about it, and then I want to, maybe, want to do, like, a free write on it. And so sometimes I can be almost the opposite. I think sometimes I have a bias for thinking things through.
So one cool thing about bias for action is that it's a way to get around the potential pitfall of getting stuck in your head. It will help you develop the necessary skills so that you can show up and do the thing, so that you can take the next step, even when it's not perfectly mapped out. And I think bias for action is especially relevant for high achieving women and assigned female at birth folks, because part of the way women and girls are socialized is often to prep, and plan, and be smart, and be careful, and get everything figured out before we begin. So many women I know want to do well but are afraid of making mistakes. Whereas I think sometimes the way boys and men are socialized is to take chances, to take risks and to figure things out along the way.
So it's not that action is better or risk taking is superior, but having those things in your toolkit as available options is really powerful. And listen, I love to skip out on making mistakes too, but sometimes fear of making mistakes can become a paralyzing force that keeps you from going after things you really want, keeps you stuck and trapped in a life that doesn't feel right to you, just because if you put yourself out there, something, you know, negative could happen.
I also think as we get older, taking chances can feel scarier. Like that's for younger people who are still in the process of sorting their lives out.
But you're also allowed to try new things as an adult. You're not dead yet. And there's still time to go after goals, whether they're new goals or goals you've had for years and build a life that feels magical to you.
So let's start by talking about how this might show up in your life. Maybe you're thinking about starting a side hustle, asking for a promotion, or having a tough conversation with your partner. But instead of taking the leap, you're making more plans, doing more research, telling yourself you need to know just a little bit more before you make a move.
For example, I've worked with clients who are perfectionists, and some of you listening might be nodding along. Does this sound like you? You want things to be just right before you get started. And while there's a place for preparation, it can also hold you back. If you spend so much time preparing that you never actually do the thing, then it's not really helping you get to where you want to go.
And that's where a bias for action could change everything.
Bias for action says, let's go ahead and take that step, even if it's messy, even if we don't have all the answers. It's about giving yourself permission to try something. Even if maybe you make mistakes, then you can learn from them and you keep moving forward, both making progress and getting new information about what's actually needed to go forward.
The thing to really ask yourself is what's going to help me get what I want. And then you have to be honest with yourself because sometimes we can say, what's going to help me get what I want? And then we're like, hmm, researching feels safer, I think I'll do that. Versus saying, like, oh, researching feels so much safer, but I think what's actually going to help me get what I want is if I put myself out there or take this big swing. (And sometimes it's not a big swing. Sometimes it's a small swing.)
Okay. Let's talk about pros and cons. Let's be real - bias for action isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It has its challenges. Let's talk about some pros and cons, so you can see how this might apply in your own life.
Okay. The pros.
1. Momentum. Taking action, even small steps, and I would actually argue, especially small steps, creates momentum.
When you're in motion, it's easier to stay in motion. Each action builds on the last, and before you know it, you've accomplished a lot more than if you just kept thinking about it.
2. Learning faster. When you act, you get real world feedback. You learn what works and what doesn't, which you can't get from thinking and planning sometimes.
If you have a tough conversation with your partner, for instance, you'll learn a lot, and you'll also know how to do a better job next time. You'll have put in the effort and you'll have the lived experience of what that's like. And yes, reading a book by Drs John and Julie Gottman about conflict can be super helpful, and I do that all the time, but there's something about having the conversation that moves you forward in a different way.
Or if you go on ten job interviews, you'll get a feel for what works and what doesn't in a way that you simply cannot get from reading articles and watching YouTube videos.
3. Overcoming fear. Actions can help you move through fear and get to the other side. Often what we're most scared of is the unknown, but when you take action, you begin to know the unknown.
It becomes less scary and more palatable because now you're dealing with facts and real things, not just imagined worst case scenarios. It can be really helpful to use your thoughts and perspectives to pump yourself up before you take action. And that's something we do with coaching all the time. But I do think there's a certain kind of confidence that actually comes from having tried, having taken the action, having put yourself out there.
Even if you experience some tough emotions, there's a certain thing of like, okay. That was hard, but like, I didn't die. Maybe I can do this.
But let's talk about the cons too, because there are cons.
1. Messiness. Let's be real, taking action can be messy, especially if you have not prepared ad infinitum.
You might make mistakes or experience failure, and that's hard for those of us who've been trained to avoid failure at all costs. But what if we reframe failure as data, as learning? What if failure isn't something to be avoided, but is in fact the actual required step necessary to gain what's needed to move forward?
2. Overwhelm. Sometimes a bias for action can lead to overwhelm, especially if you take on too much at once without a clear sense of priorities. You want to avoid the opposite extreme of doing all the things just for the sake of doing them.
In order to get the most out of a bias for action without overwhelming yourself, you need to choose finite, completable tasks and set aside time to reflect on how it went before you move on to more of them.
But are there ever times where bias for action might not be the best approach? Of course, absolutely.
For example, if you're dealing with a major life decision, like moving across the country, which I did a few years ago, or changing careers, which I did a few years before that, it might make sense to pause, get clear on your vision, and make sure that the actions you take align with what you truly want.
But even in those cases, here's the nuance. Some action can still help you get clarity. Maybe you don't use the bias for action to just pick up and move to the new place, but you could use it for a smaller activity like researching potential cities or neighborhoods you might be interested in. Or if you want to change careers, you could have a smaller bias for action be reaching out to people in that new field, or in a variety of fields if you're not sure what you want to be doing, and have informational interviews with them.
So that's an interesting place where you're both taking action and still doing the prep and the planning.
So you're still moving forward, but you're moving forward in a way that feels more measured. And I think there's, like, a nice balance here where you're moving forward enough that it feels, like, a little bit scary. You're putting yourself out there, but not taking such big swings that if the thing doesn't go well, everything is ruined in a catastrophic way.
I think that's the balance. That's the balance for me.
And the reality is every person kind of has to figure out their own balance. Some people probably have a lot of bias for action, and they could benefit from the opposite.
So like with many coaching tools, this is not a one size fits all. This is simply saying, hey, here's a tool that could go in your toolkit. If you're not getting what you want, assess if this is something that could be useful for you. Or if you take a lot of action and don't do any prep or reflection, maybe you want to move the other direction.
Let's just say though, that listening to this podcast is making you realize, yeah, like I do want to develop a bias for action. And I do think this is an area where I don't have as much skill as some of the areas. So maybe you want to make that shift, but it feels really hard. So let's talk about that.
For many of us, making the shift to bias action is hard because we've been taught to be cautious. We've been socialized to avoid mistakes, to avoid making waves, and to always put our best work out there. But sometimes bias for action means figuring out what's good enough and putting that out there.
And that could get us stuck in a place of fear of judgment or fear of failure. And we might spin an indecision, even if what we want is to move forward.
So the antidote to that is to remember that it's okay to make mistakes. Even if you were told as a child that it's not, it is, and it's actually inevitable. Even if you keep your life small and simple, you can't totally avoid mistakes a hundred percent of the time.
And if you want to make changes in your life or go after goals and new ventures, well, missteps will be part of that.
It doesn't mean anything has gone wrong. It's just part of being human. What you have to do is remind yourself that taking action, even imperfect action leads to learning, growth, and, yeah, success. The more you practice this mindset, the easier it will become to choose action (when action makes sense).
Now let's talk about how embracing a bias for action could improve your life. When you choose to implement this tool, you will move forward towards your goals, or you will learn things you need to know to move forward, or both.
With a bias for action and a willingness to learn, you will be able to achieve more of the things you really want. You'll build confidence. You'll start to trust yourself more because you'll know you can take action, learn from the results, and keep working towards your desired outcomes.
It's like knitting a scarf. You can read a million books and watch just as many YouTube videos about how to knit. But the scarf itself is made by picking up the needles and taking action. And when you do, you'll also develop a more advanced understanding of the knowledge you could get from the books and the videos.
Real world experience is often scarier than planning and learning, but it gives you something that planning and learning can't give you on their own and allows you to learn at a deeper level.
Okay, let's review. A bias for action is all about doing rather than just thinking about doing. It's not about being reckless, but it is about getting out of your head and into the real world. If you've been stuck in indecision or analysis paralysis, I want to challenge you, where can you start taking more action today?
Remember, action leads to momentum and momentum leads to growth. Stop waiting for the perfect moment and start creating progress instead by taking action, even if it's small, even if it's imperfect, because that is how you create a wildly satisfying life.
All right. That's it for today. Go out there and take some action y'all and I'll catch you next time.
If this episode resonates with you and you'd like help cultivating a bias for action and knowing when to use it, I'd love to support you with that. Reach out and let's have a conversation about working together to get you feeling satisfied AF, because you deserve nothing less.
If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend or leave a review. It helps others find the podcast and get the support they need to. Until next time.
Thank you for joining me for this week’s episode of Satisfied AF. If you are ready to create a wildly delicious life and have way more fun than you ever thought possible, visit www.korilinn.com to see how I can help. See you next week.
The Satisfied AF podcast is the place to learn how to create a life and career that’s wildly delicious. Want a steamier sex life? We’ve got you. Want a more satisfying career? We’ll cover that too. And you can be sure we’ll spend lots of time talking about how to build connected, fun relationships that can handle life’s ups and downs. No matter what goals you’re working on, this show will help you create a one of a kind life that is just right for you. Join me, life and career coach Kori Linn and each week I’ll give you lots of practical tips, tools, and proven strategies to help you create all the satisfaction your heart desires.
Hello, hello, hello. Today, we're talking about a concept that I learned from my girlfriend, Alex, and she learned it from when she worked at Amazon, because it's one of their leadership principles. Now, I do think it's important that I say there are certain things about how Amazon does business that I don't appreciate, but for the purposes of this podcast, we're just going to pull out this one concept and talk about it, because I think it can be really useful if applied thoughtfully.
So the concept is called bias for action. And if you've never heard this term before, you might be wondering, what does that even mean? Well, let me tell you, a bias for action is all about choosing doing versus planning, thinking about it, strategizing, researching.
It doesn't mean no researching. It doesn't mean no forethought about what you're going to do. It simply means a willingness to make educated guesses and to take action before you have every single piece of information. And I think it's interesting because it's not just about speed. I do think there's an element of that, but I think it's actually about, well, you know, I've never worked on Amazon, so I don't know what it's actually about for them, but for me, and the way I've learned it from Alex, it's about taking action and then learning what you can learn from the action, and often there's things we can only learn from action.
So many of us spend a lot of time in our heads, including me. We're planning, strategizing, weighing options, fantasizing, and trying to figure out the right thing to do. But sometimes we get so caught up in all of that thinking that we don't actually do anything.
And I'm going to be really honest with you. I actually don't think I have a very strong bias for action. I think Alex has a very strong one. I think she's willing to just get started and try things. That's often how she's doing her home renovation and home improvement projects. She just starts doing stuff. Maybe she watches a few YouTube videos. So again, it's not about, like, zero research. It's just about having that bias for taking action.
Whereas I think, I want to read a couple books, and then I want to think about it, and then I want to, maybe, want to do, like, a free write on it. And so sometimes I can be almost the opposite. I think sometimes I have a bias for thinking things through.
So one cool thing about bias for action is that it's a way to get around the potential pitfall of getting stuck in your head. It will help you develop the necessary skills so that you can show up and do the thing, so that you can take the next step, even when it's not perfectly mapped out. And I think bias for action is especially relevant for high achieving women and assigned female at birth folks, because part of the way women and girls are socialized is often to prep, and plan, and be smart, and be careful, and get everything figured out before we begin. So many women I know want to do well but are afraid of making mistakes. Whereas I think sometimes the way boys and men are socialized is to take chances, to take risks and to figure things out along the way.
So it's not that action is better or risk taking is superior, but having those things in your toolkit as available options is really powerful. And listen, I love to skip out on making mistakes too, but sometimes fear of making mistakes can become a paralyzing force that keeps you from going after things you really want, keeps you stuck and trapped in a life that doesn't feel right to you, just because if you put yourself out there, something, you know, negative could happen.
I also think as we get older, taking chances can feel scarier. Like that's for younger people who are still in the process of sorting their lives out.
But you're also allowed to try new things as an adult. You're not dead yet. And there's still time to go after goals, whether they're new goals or goals you've had for years and build a life that feels magical to you.
So let's start by talking about how this might show up in your life. Maybe you're thinking about starting a side hustle, asking for a promotion, or having a tough conversation with your partner. But instead of taking the leap, you're making more plans, doing more research, telling yourself you need to know just a little bit more before you make a move.
For example, I've worked with clients who are perfectionists, and some of you listening might be nodding along. Does this sound like you? You want things to be just right before you get started. And while there's a place for preparation, it can also hold you back. If you spend so much time preparing that you never actually do the thing, then it's not really helping you get to where you want to go.
And that's where a bias for action could change everything.
Bias for action says, let's go ahead and take that step, even if it's messy, even if we don't have all the answers. It's about giving yourself permission to try something. Even if maybe you make mistakes, then you can learn from them and you keep moving forward, both making progress and getting new information about what's actually needed to go forward.
The thing to really ask yourself is what's going to help me get what I want. And then you have to be honest with yourself because sometimes we can say, what's going to help me get what I want? And then we're like, hmm, researching feels safer, I think I'll do that. Versus saying, like, oh, researching feels so much safer, but I think what's actually going to help me get what I want is if I put myself out there or take this big swing. (And sometimes it's not a big swing. Sometimes it's a small swing.)
Okay. Let's talk about pros and cons. Let's be real - bias for action isn't all sunshine and rainbows. It has its challenges. Let's talk about some pros and cons, so you can see how this might apply in your own life.
Okay. The pros.
1. Momentum. Taking action, even small steps, and I would actually argue, especially small steps, creates momentum.
When you're in motion, it's easier to stay in motion. Each action builds on the last, and before you know it, you've accomplished a lot more than if you just kept thinking about it.
2. Learning faster. When you act, you get real world feedback. You learn what works and what doesn't, which you can't get from thinking and planning sometimes.
If you have a tough conversation with your partner, for instance, you'll learn a lot, and you'll also know how to do a better job next time. You'll have put in the effort and you'll have the lived experience of what that's like. And yes, reading a book by Drs John and Julie Gottman about conflict can be super helpful, and I do that all the time, but there's something about having the conversation that moves you forward in a different way.
Or if you go on ten job interviews, you'll get a feel for what works and what doesn't in a way that you simply cannot get from reading articles and watching YouTube videos.
3. Overcoming fear. Actions can help you move through fear and get to the other side. Often what we're most scared of is the unknown, but when you take action, you begin to know the unknown.
It becomes less scary and more palatable because now you're dealing with facts and real things, not just imagined worst case scenarios. It can be really helpful to use your thoughts and perspectives to pump yourself up before you take action. And that's something we do with coaching all the time. But I do think there's a certain kind of confidence that actually comes from having tried, having taken the action, having put yourself out there.
Even if you experience some tough emotions, there's a certain thing of like, okay. That was hard, but like, I didn't die. Maybe I can do this.
But let's talk about the cons too, because there are cons.
1. Messiness. Let's be real, taking action can be messy, especially if you have not prepared ad infinitum.
You might make mistakes or experience failure, and that's hard for those of us who've been trained to avoid failure at all costs. But what if we reframe failure as data, as learning? What if failure isn't something to be avoided, but is in fact the actual required step necessary to gain what's needed to move forward?
2. Overwhelm. Sometimes a bias for action can lead to overwhelm, especially if you take on too much at once without a clear sense of priorities. You want to avoid the opposite extreme of doing all the things just for the sake of doing them.
In order to get the most out of a bias for action without overwhelming yourself, you need to choose finite, completable tasks and set aside time to reflect on how it went before you move on to more of them.
But are there ever times where bias for action might not be the best approach? Of course, absolutely.
For example, if you're dealing with a major life decision, like moving across the country, which I did a few years ago, or changing careers, which I did a few years before that, it might make sense to pause, get clear on your vision, and make sure that the actions you take align with what you truly want.
But even in those cases, here's the nuance. Some action can still help you get clarity. Maybe you don't use the bias for action to just pick up and move to the new place, but you could use it for a smaller activity like researching potential cities or neighborhoods you might be interested in. Or if you want to change careers, you could have a smaller bias for action be reaching out to people in that new field, or in a variety of fields if you're not sure what you want to be doing, and have informational interviews with them.
So that's an interesting place where you're both taking action and still doing the prep and the planning.
So you're still moving forward, but you're moving forward in a way that feels more measured. And I think there's, like, a nice balance here where you're moving forward enough that it feels, like, a little bit scary. You're putting yourself out there, but not taking such big swings that if the thing doesn't go well, everything is ruined in a catastrophic way.
I think that's the balance. That's the balance for me.
And the reality is every person kind of has to figure out their own balance. Some people probably have a lot of bias for action, and they could benefit from the opposite.
So like with many coaching tools, this is not a one size fits all. This is simply saying, hey, here's a tool that could go in your toolkit. If you're not getting what you want, assess if this is something that could be useful for you. Or if you take a lot of action and don't do any prep or reflection, maybe you want to move the other direction.
Let's just say though, that listening to this podcast is making you realize, yeah, like I do want to develop a bias for action. And I do think this is an area where I don't have as much skill as some of the areas. So maybe you want to make that shift, but it feels really hard. So let's talk about that.
For many of us, making the shift to bias action is hard because we've been taught to be cautious. We've been socialized to avoid mistakes, to avoid making waves, and to always put our best work out there. But sometimes bias for action means figuring out what's good enough and putting that out there.
And that could get us stuck in a place of fear of judgment or fear of failure. And we might spin an indecision, even if what we want is to move forward.
So the antidote to that is to remember that it's okay to make mistakes. Even if you were told as a child that it's not, it is, and it's actually inevitable. Even if you keep your life small and simple, you can't totally avoid mistakes a hundred percent of the time.
And if you want to make changes in your life or go after goals and new ventures, well, missteps will be part of that.
It doesn't mean anything has gone wrong. It's just part of being human. What you have to do is remind yourself that taking action, even imperfect action leads to learning, growth, and, yeah, success. The more you practice this mindset, the easier it will become to choose action (when action makes sense).
Now let's talk about how embracing a bias for action could improve your life. When you choose to implement this tool, you will move forward towards your goals, or you will learn things you need to know to move forward, or both.
With a bias for action and a willingness to learn, you will be able to achieve more of the things you really want. You'll build confidence. You'll start to trust yourself more because you'll know you can take action, learn from the results, and keep working towards your desired outcomes.
It's like knitting a scarf. You can read a million books and watch just as many YouTube videos about how to knit. But the scarf itself is made by picking up the needles and taking action. And when you do, you'll also develop a more advanced understanding of the knowledge you could get from the books and the videos.
Real world experience is often scarier than planning and learning, but it gives you something that planning and learning can't give you on their own and allows you to learn at a deeper level.
Okay, let's review. A bias for action is all about doing rather than just thinking about doing. It's not about being reckless, but it is about getting out of your head and into the real world. If you've been stuck in indecision or analysis paralysis, I want to challenge you, where can you start taking more action today?
Remember, action leads to momentum and momentum leads to growth. Stop waiting for the perfect moment and start creating progress instead by taking action, even if it's small, even if it's imperfect, because that is how you create a wildly satisfying life.
All right. That's it for today. Go out there and take some action y'all and I'll catch you next time.
If this episode resonates with you and you'd like help cultivating a bias for action and knowing when to use it, I'd love to support you with that. Reach out and let's have a conversation about working together to get you feeling satisfied AF, because you deserve nothing less.
If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend or leave a review. It helps others find the podcast and get the support they need to. Until next time.
Thank you for joining me for this week’s episode of Satisfied AF. If you are ready to create a wildly delicious life and have way more fun than you ever thought possible, visit www.korilinn.com to see how I can help. See you next week.
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