Never mistake activity for achievement. —John Wooden

Today, I read an article by James Clear (he always makes so much sense) about the difference between “being in motion vs taking action” and thought how applicable this is to dog training.  Have you ever gone to a trial or a class and faced a handling challenge that would be soooo much easier if you had a) more independent weave poles;  b) a better start line; c) lateral distance on the dogwalk;  d) an efficient collection cue;  e) left/right directionals; or — fill in the blank.

The article highlights the difference between studying, researching and planning the steps you will take to get a result— being in MOTION….and the ACTION you take when you actually get the dog, pick up the training bag and head to the field to train that skill.  Being in MOTION can give us the feeling of accomplishment but unless we take ACTION, we will never get the results we want.   Just like my brand new spin bike – carefully researched before purchase – won’t give me the results I want unless I take ACTION to get on the bike regularly – even after the novelty wears off :-).

Remember the great John Wooden quote above:  “Never mistake activity for achievement”.  Here is the full article…ENJOY!

The Mistake Smart People Make: Being In Motion vs. Taking Action