The Art of Doing: A Guide to Getting Motivated, Getting Unstuck and Getting It Done
Authors: Jesse Lipscombe Tags: self-help, motivation, productivity, entrepreneurship, autobiography Publication Year: 2025
Overview
I wrote this book because I believe that getting things done is more than a skill; it’s a lifestyle, a practice, and a philosophy. It’s based on my own story—the lessons I’ve learned as a professional athlete, an actor, an entrepreneur who has founded over fifteen companies, and as a person navigating the complexities of life. My goal isn’t to just tell you my story, but to use it as a map to help you navigate your own journey. I want to help you tear down your creative barricades, get unstuck, and master the art of self-motivation. The core of my method is what I call the [[Three Ps]]: Passion, Pursuit, and Productivity. This framework is designed to unblock you and prepare you to achieve whatever you set your mind to, whether you aspire to be a polymath who excels in many fields or you want to accomplish that one big dream that feels like it has passed you by. This book is for anyone who has ever dreamed of doing more but felt the fire, drive, or hunger start to fade. It pushes back against limiting beliefs like being a ‘jack of all trades, master of none,’ and gives you permission to try, to experiment, and to find joy in the process of doing. In a world that often makes us feel stuck, I want to provide a practical, actionable guide to pursuing the future you want to live in. It’s about taking that first step, building momentum, and finding the courage to get it done.
Book Distillation
1. Action, Movement and Momentum
It’s easy to stall progress by convincing ourselves that our dreams can wait. But we get good at what we practice, so we must avoid practicing procrastination. The key is to understand the sequence of [[action, movement, and momentum]]. A small, intentional action creates movement. That movement, once started, builds momentum that will carry you through most challenges. You don’t need to know every step of the journey; you just need to take the first one. How you do anything is how you do everything, so take pride in every step.
Key Quote/Concept:
Action -> Movement -> Momentum. This is the fundamental equation for getting unstuck. You cannot wait for momentum to appear; you must initiate it with a single action, which then creates the movement needed to build unstoppable force.
2. Run Toward Love
So much of our lives are dictated by running from fear—fear of failure, of judgment, of disappointing others. This is a dead-end path that leads to obligation, not joy. The alternative is to consciously [[run toward love]]. This means pursuing things based on passion, joy, and authenticity, not out of duty. When you shift your motivation from fear to love, you begin to live as your authentic self, and the direction you need to head becomes clear. This requires a strong support team and the courage to lead with your heart.
Key Quote/Concept:
The Mental Transition. This is the shift from living as a ‘representative’—a watered-down version of yourself designed to please others and avoid fear—to living as your authentic self. It involves recognizing when you started relinquishing control and making a conscious choice to run toward what you love.
3. Say Yes
Saying ‘yes’ is a powerful tool for creating opportunities. It’s about being open to new experiences, even when you feel unprepared or scared. When you say yes with confidence, you can ‘fake it ‘til you make it,’ learning and growing along the way. This isn’t about agreeing to everything, but about overcoming the fear-based hesitation that keeps you in the same place. Every ‘yes’ is a key that can unlock a door you never knew existed. Find the ‘lion’ of fear in your life and slay it by saying yes.
Key Quote/Concept:
Slaying the Lion. The ‘lion’ is the imaginary monster of fear, often rooted in a past negative experience, that stands in the way of you saying yes to new opportunities. You must find the courage to face this lion and roar back, not just for yourself, but for those watching you.
4. Break Out of Your Shell
Growth requires you to be like a lobster and moult—to ditch the exoskeleton that has become too small. This means stepping out of your comfort zone. Vulnerability is often seen as weakness, but it should be reframed as being [[available]] to new experiences. To guide this growth, it’s crucial to know when to say yes and when to say no. Following your passions doesn’t mean doing everything; it means choosing what aligns with your core self.
Key Quote/Concept:
The Business of Life Plan. Treat your life like a business by creating a formal plan. This includes a Mission Statement (your purpose), Core Values (your guiding principles, like my G.L.A.C.E. acronym: Grace, Love, Authenticity, Creativity, Energy), and a S.W.O.T. analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). This provides an objective framework for making decisions.
5. Look Up
Opportunities are constantly appearing, but you won’t see them if you’re not looking. To ‘look up’ is to live in the moment with a sense of optimism and belief that your next move will be a great one. It’s about cultivating a mindset of [[self-fulfilling prophecy]] where you expect good things to happen, making you actively seek and recognize them when they arrive. Don’t wait for opportunities to be handed to you; look up and find them.
Key Quote/Concept:
Remote Content Directing (RCD). This is a concept born from ‘looking up’ during a crisis (the COVID-19 pandemic). When the entertainment industry shut down, instead of looking down in despair, I looked up for opportunities, leading me to create a new method of directing actors remotely and producing a show against all odds.
6. Focus on Your Why
Your ‘why’ is the deep, foundational reason you do what you do. It’s your armor when you face struggles and your fuel when motivation wanes. Without a clear and powerful why, it’s easy to quit when things get tough. This is especially true in difficult endeavors like activism. My ‘why’ for anti-discrimination work stems from my identity as a fourth-generation Black Canadian and the desire to create a safe home for my family and community.
Key Quote/Concept:
#MakeItAwkward Tools. These are three practical strategies for confronting discrimination, all rooted in a strong ‘why’: 1) Why, Why, Why? (earnestly questioning the reasoning behind a discriminatory joke or comment), 2) The Friend Zone (focusing on and supporting the victim, not the attacker), and 3) Get the Lettuce Out (calling out friends’ mistakes just as you’d tell them they have food in their teeth).
7. Believe
What you believe about yourself is far more important than what others think. Belief is the fuel for action; without it, discipline and hard work are ineffective. You must overcome negative self-talk and [[catastrophizing]] by consciously practicing a new narrative. Nerves and fear don’t disappear, but your belief in your ability to move through them acts as a propellant. We see what we believe, so choose to believe in a positive outcome and aim high.
Key Quote/Concept:
Practice Makes Permanent. This is a crucial reframing of ‘practice makes perfect.’ Every thought and action, positive or negative, creates and solidifies neural pathways. You must be mindful of what you are practicing, as it becomes a permanent part of who you are.
8. Be the Genie
Stop looking outside yourself for permission or for a magical solution to grant your wishes. You are your own genie. This means you must first forgive yourself for past mistakes and then give yourself permission to try new things, to change your circumstances, and to succeed. Don’t fall for the [[buffer excuse]] of not trying your hardest to protect yourself from failure. Give yourself permission to be great.
Key Quote/Concept:
The Buffer Excuse. This is when you say, ‘I could have done better if I’d tried harder.’ It’s a way to justify failure and protect yourself from the disappointment of giving your all and still falling short. To truly succeed, you must grant yourself permission to try your hardest, thereby removing this safety net.
9. You Are More than Enough
You are enough, right now. This isn’t just about acknowledging your good qualities; it’s about understanding that the bad things you’ve gone through are also essential parts of who you are. Block out external voices and internal negative self-talk that tell you otherwise. Give yourself permission to feel your emotions, to have fun, and to put yourself first. Your life is yours alone; those who don’t understand it don’t need to.
Key Quote/Concept:
‘I love you so much and I am proud of you.’ This is a daily affirmation to be said to yourself in the mirror. It’s a practical exercise designed to slowly replace negative self-talk and internalize a sense of self-worth, helping you truly believe you are enough.
10. Practise Curiosity
Curiosity is the engine that pushes us beyond our limiting beliefs and into new experiences. The question ‘[[what if?]]’ is a powerful motivator that leads to resourcefulness and creative solutions. Instead of wondering what might have been, lean into answering the ‘what if?’ question with action. Follow your curiosity, even if it’s for a small project with few viewers; you never know where it will lead.
Key Quote/Concept:
Answering ‘What If?’. This is the practice of consciously acting on curiosity in the moment. Instead of letting a ‘what if’ question become a future regret, you treat it as a call to action. This authentic, immediate response can transform a minor thought into a life-changing opportunity.
11. Obliterate Obstacles
Obstacles are a guaranteed part of any journey. The question isn’t if they will appear, but when and how you will deal with them. The key is to reframe problems as opportunities and lean into the darkness to create something new. Don’t focus on the obstacle itself; focus on where you’re going. To help others overcome their obstacles, remember to treat them the way they want to be treated, not the way you would want to be treated.
Key Quote/Concept:
The Jane Elliott Golden Rule. A crucial reframe of the classic rule, this concept states: ‘Treat other people the way they would like to be treated.’ This forces you to de-center your own perspective and truly listen to what others need, which is essential for providing effective help and fostering genuine inclusion.
12. You Have Enough Time
The feeling of not having enough time is rarely about the 24 hours in a day; it’s about a lack of [[emotional bandwidth]]. Productive people don’t have more time, they just use their hours and energy more effectively. To increase your bandwidth, break down huge goals into small, manageable tasks and schedule them. Also, learn to do things you suck at; focusing on weaknesses makes your entire life journey more efficient and enjoyable.
Key Quote/Concept:
Big Littles. This is a productivity strategy for tackling overwhelming goals. You take the ‘Big’ dream (the macro) and break it down into scheduled, bite-sized ‘Littles’ (the micros). This creates a digestible, visual plan that reduces emotional weight and ensures steady progress.
13. Know When to Hold ’Em
Knowing when to quit is a critical and difficult skill. Tunnel vision on a passion project or ‘baby’ can lead you to ignore clear signs that it’s time to fold. To make the right call, you must learn three things: to trust a proven process, to sacrifice short-term rewards for long-term gains, and to recognize when it’s time to say ‘that’s it, that’s all’ and walk away.
Key Quote/Concept:
The Big Three. These are the three lessons learned from a brief, intense stint selling cars: 1. Trust the Process (don’t deviate from a proven system until you’ve mastered it). 2. Sacrifice a Little to Gain a Lot (endure short-term suffering for a long-term goal). 3. That’s It, That’s All (know when it’s time to quit).
14. You Get to Keep Trying
You are a creator. Everything you do is a creation. The concept of ‘failure’ is a misnomer; in reality, you only have two options: you quit or you die. As long as you are alive, you get to keep trying. The key is to become comfortable with being uncomfortable and to embrace ‘successful failures’—the act of pushing your limits to find the edges of your capabilities. Your thoughts become things, so input your destination into your [[universal GPS]] and just start moving.
Key Quote/Concept:
Universal GPS. This is a metaphor for how manifestation works. You input your goal, dream, or passion into your mental GPS. You don’t need to know the whole route in advance. As long as you start moving, the universe will provide the next instruction and reroute you as necessary. Your only job is to input the destination and keep moving.
Generated using Google GenAI
Essential Questions
1. What is the core framework of the ‘Three Ps’—Passion, Pursuit, and Productivity—and how does it serve as a map for getting unstuck?
The ‘Three Ps’—Passion, Pursuit, and Productivity—are the foundational pillars of my philosophy for getting things done. They represent a sequential yet interconnected framework. It all starts with [[Passion]] (Part 1), which is about identifying what truly drives you, what you love. This isn’t about obligation but about finding the authentic fire that motivates you to act. The key here is to ‘run toward love,’ not away from fear. Once you’ve identified your passion, you move into [[Pursuit]] (Part 2). This is the active, often messy, process of chasing that passion. It requires belief in yourself, the courage to be a ‘genie’ who grants your own wishes, and the curiosity to ask ‘what if?’. Finally, [[Productivity]] (Part 3) provides the practical tools to manage the pursuit. It’s about obliterating obstacles, managing your time and emotional bandwidth effectively, and knowing when to persevere and when to quit. This framework is not a rigid system but a lifestyle. It’s a map that guides you from internal desire (Passion) through external action (Pursuit) to tangible results (Productivity), ultimately enabling you to overcome inertia and achieve your goals.
2. How does the principle of ‘Action -> Movement -> Momentum’ function as a practical tool for overcoming procrastination and creative blocks?
The ‘Action -> Movement -> Momentum’ equation is the fundamental engine for getting unstuck. I emphasize this because so many of us wait for motivation or momentum to strike before we begin, which is a recipe for inaction. We practice procrastination and get very good at it. The principle flips this on its head. It posits that momentum is not a prerequisite but a result. The process must be initiated by a single, often small, intentional [[action]]. This could be as simple as writing one sentence, making one phone call, or doing one push-up. That initial action creates [[movement]]—it breaks the state of inertia. Once you are in motion, no matter how slowly, you begin to build [[momentum]]. This momentum is a powerful force that, once established, can carry you through the inevitable challenges, doubts, and periods of low motivation. As I learned when writing my first musical in college, I didn’t need to know how to do everything at the start; I just needed to take the first action—writing the script—which led to the next movement, and so on. It’s about trusting that the first step will reveal the path forward.
3. What does it mean to ‘run toward love’ instead of ‘run from fear,’ and how does this ‘Mental Transition’ unlock one’s authentic self?
Running from fear is living a life dictated by avoidance: fear of failure, judgment, or disappointment. This leads to a life of obligation, where your actions are designed to please a ‘representative’—a watered-down version of yourself—rather than your authentic self. I lived this way for years, driven by the pressure to succeed in athletics not for the joy of it, but for fear of failing. The [[Mental Transition]] is the conscious shift to ‘run toward love.’ This means making choices based on what brings you joy, passion, and fulfillment. It’s about rediscovering the love for an activity, as I did with high jumping after my Canadian Idol experience. When you’re motivated by love, your actions become authentic expressions of who you are. This shift requires you to identify when you started letting fear take the reins—for me, it was in elementary school when I started losing games on purpose to fit in. By choosing love over fear, you stop trying to be someone you’re not, you stop comparing yourself to others, and the direction you need to head in becomes clear. It’s the key to unlocking your true potential and living a life you create, not one you endure.
Key Takeaways
1. You Are Your Own Genie: Grant Yourself Permission to Try, Fail, and Succeed.
A central theme in my book is that we often look for external validation or a magical solution to achieve our dreams, when the power lies within us. Being your own ‘genie’ means you must first forgive yourself for past shortcomings and then give yourself permission to act. This involves overcoming the [[buffer excuse]]—the idea that ‘I could have done better if I’d tried harder.’ This excuse is a safety net that protects our ego but prevents us from ever giving our all. To truly succeed, you must grant yourself permission to try your hardest, to be vulnerable, and to potentially fail. This principle is about taking radical ownership of your life. As I recount with my first company, Entrephoria, my friend and I didn’t know what we were doing, but we gave ourselves permission to try. This internal permission is the key that unlocks the door to action.
Practical Application: An AI product engineer might hesitate to propose a radical, high-risk feature for fear of it failing and reflecting poorly on them. Applying this takeaway, they would grant themselves permission to champion the idea fully, moving past the ‘buffer excuse.’ Instead of presenting it tentatively, they would invest their best effort in the research, proposal, and prototype. Even if the project is ultimately shelved, they have removed the self-imposed barrier, practiced operating at their full potential, and demonstrated leadership and conviction, which are valuable outcomes in themselves.
2. Practice Makes Permanent: Consciously Cultivate Your Mindset and Habits.
I reframe the old adage ‘practice makes perfect’ to ‘[[practice makes permanent]].’ This is a crucial distinction because it highlights that every thought and action, whether positive or negative, strengthens neural pathways. If you consistently practice negative self-talk, catastrophizing, or procrastination, those habits become a permanent part of your operating system. The book stresses the importance of being mindful of what you are practicing every day. To change your outcomes, you must consciously practice a new narrative. This means actively replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, embracing affirmations like ‘I love you so much and I am proud of you,’ and acting in alignment with the person you want to become. It’s not about achieving perfection, but about intentionally building the mental and behavioral habits that will serve your goals. Your belief system is the fuel for your journey, and it’s built through deliberate, consistent practice.
Practical Application: In the high-pressure world of AI development, it’s easy to fall into a pattern of [[catastrophizing]] about project deadlines or the potential for a model to underperform. An engineer can apply this takeaway by consciously practicing a new response. When a negative thought arises (‘This will never work’), they can actively replace it with a productive one (‘What is the next small step I can take to solve this?’). This isn’t about ignoring problems, but about practicing a problem-solving mindset instead of a defeatist one, making resilience and optimism a more permanent part of their professional character.
3. Say ‘Yes’ to Slay the Lion of Fear and Create Opportunity.
Opportunities are everywhere, but fear often prevents us from seeing or seizing them. I describe this fear as a ‘lion’—an imaginary monster, often born from a past negative experience, that stands in our way. My humiliating audition for ‘The Lion King’ became my lion, stopping me from singing for seven years. [[Slaying the lion]] means saying ‘yes’ to the very things that scare you. Saying ‘yes’ is a tool for creating change and opening doors. It’s not about being reckless, but about overcoming the fear-based hesitation that keeps you stagnant. Every ‘yes’ builds confidence and momentum. Saying ‘yes’ to singing the national anthem, despite my terror, led to a resurrected passion and numerous new opportunities. The book argues that you must find your lion, face it, and roar back by saying ‘yes,’ not just for yourself, but for those who are watching and learning from you.
Practical Application: An AI product engineer might be asked to lead a new type of project, perhaps involving an unfamiliar domain like [[AI safety]] or ethics, which feels intimidating. Their ‘lion’ is the fear of incompetence. Instead of declining, they should say ‘yes.’ This single act forces them into a learning mode, connecting them with new experts, and expanding their skillset. Saying ‘yes’ transforms a threat into an opportunity for growth, making them a more versatile and valuable member of the team. It kickstarts the ‘Action -> Movement -> Momentum’ cycle in their career development.
Suggested Deep Dive
Chapter: Chapter 2: Run Toward Love
Reason: This chapter is the philosophical heart of the book. It details my personal journey from being driven by a fear of failure to being fueled by a love for my pursuits. Understanding the [[Mental Transition]] from living as a ‘representative’ to an authentic self is crucial for anyone feeling stuck or unfulfilled. It provides the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’ of productivity, making all the other tools and strategies more meaningful and sustainable. For a professional in a demanding field like AI, avoiding burnout and maintaining long-term passion is essential, and this chapter provides the foundational mindset for achieving that.
Key Vignette
Slaying the Lion on the 50-Yard Line
After a humiliating audition for ‘The Lion King’ musical crushed my confidence, I stopped singing for seven years. The ‘lion’ of that failure stood in my way until I was asked to sing the national anthem at a CFL game on the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Terrified, I said yes. I ‘trained’ by singing at a karaoke bar and crying in my car, and even hired an EFT coach to manage the emotional stress. Standing on the field before 60,000 people, my worst nightmare came true: I completely forgot the lyrics. But I took a deep breath, opened my mouth, and somehow the words came out. That act of [[saying yes]] and facing my biggest fear opened up a brand-new world of opportunities for me.
Memorable Quotes
Action -> Movement -> Momentum. This is the fundamental equation for getting unstuck. You cannot wait for momentum to appear; you must initiate it with a single action, which then creates the movement needed to build unstoppable force.
— Page 15, Action, Movement and Momentum
When you run from fear—from judgment, from expectations, from hard work or from truths you are not ready to face—you can’t live in the place you are supposed to be.
— Page 26, Run Toward Love
Practice makes permanent. … I began to understand that I am creating patterns and solidifying neural pathways in my brain with every thought and action.
— Page 67, Believe
Have you ever heard yourself say I could have done that if I’d tried harder. That, my friend, is what I call the ‘buffer excuse.’ It’s a way we justify failure and half-hearted attempts. It’s how we protect ourselves from disappointment.
— Page 75, Be the Genie
The life you are currently leading is designed by you, mostly by your subconscious. Dooley’s words reminded me that I am in the driver’s seat, a place we all operate from.
— Page 121, You Get to Keep Trying
Comparative Analysis
My book, ‘The Art of Doing,’ enters a conversation with seminal works on productivity and self-improvement like James Clear’s ‘Atomic Habits’ and Stephen Covey’s ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.’ While those books provide brilliant, systematic, and often research-driven frameworks for habit formation and effectiveness, my contribution is different. I offer a philosophy grounded in lived experience and raw, narrative truth. Where ‘Atomic Habits’ gives you the science of 1% improvements, I give you the story of how saying ‘yes’ to singing an anthem in a sold-out stadium, despite crippling fear, can change your life. My approach is less of a clinical ‘how-to’ guide and more of an inspirational ‘why-to’ manifesto. It shares a spirit with Brené Brown’s work, like ‘Daring Greatly,’ by championing vulnerability and authenticity—what I call being ‘available’ and ‘running toward love.’ However, my unique contribution is the relentless focus on doing as the antidote to overthinking, framed through the diverse lens of a professional athlete, multi-time entrepreneur, and artist. It’s a playbook built not in a lab, but on the field, on the stage, and in the trenches of starting over, again and again.
Reflection
In writing ‘The Art of Doing,’ my goal was to create a deeply personal and actionable guide, not an academic treatise. Its strength lies in its authenticity and narrative-driven lessons; the principles of [[action, movement, and momentum]] or [[running toward love]] are illustrated through my own failures and successes, from bombing auditions to launching businesses. This makes the concepts relatable and, I hope, more inspirational than a dry list of rules. However, a skeptical reader, particularly one with a scientific or engineering mindset, might question the universality of my anecdotal evidence. My path is unique, and what worked for me may not be a repeatable formula for everyone. The book’s philosophy is rooted in belief, mindset, and intuition—concepts that can diverge from hard, empirical fact. The weakness, therefore, could be seen as a lack of a rigorous, data-backed system. Yet, I believe its significance, especially for an AI product engineer, is in addressing the human element of creation. Technology and product development are not just about logic and code; they are about passion, belief, overcoming fear of failure, and the courage to pursue a bold vision. This book is meant to be the fuel for that human engine, reminding the reader that before you can build the next great thing, you first have to build the belief that you can.
Flashcards
Card 1
Front: What is the ‘Action -> Movement -> Momentum’ equation?
Back: The core principle that a small, intentional [[action]] is required to create [[movement]], which in turn builds the [[momentum]] needed to overcome challenges and achieve a goal. You must act first to create momentum.
Card 2
Front: What is the ‘Buffer Excuse’?
Back: A self-protective justification for failure, where one claims, ‘I could have done better if I’d tried harder.’ It prevents you from giving your all, thus protecting your ego from the pain of failing at your best.
Card 3
Front: What is the ‘Business of Life Plan’?
Back: A tool for objective self-assessment and decision-making. It involves creating a personal Mission Statement (purpose), defining Core Values (e.g., G.L.A.C.E.), and conducting a S.W.O.T. analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats).
Card 4
Front: What does it mean to ‘slay the lion’?
Back: To confront an imaginary monster of fear, often rooted in a past negative experience, that prevents you from saying ‘yes’ to new opportunities. It’s about acting in the face of fear.
Card 5
Front: What is the re-framed ‘Jane Elliott Golden Rule’?
Back: ‘Treat other people the way they would like to be treated.’ This requires de-centering your own perspective to truly listen and respond to the needs of others, fostering genuine inclusion.
Card 6
Front: What is the ‘Big Littles’ productivity strategy?
Back: A method for tackling overwhelming goals by breaking the ‘Big’ (macro) dream into scheduled, manageable ‘Littles’ (micro tasks). This creates a digestible plan that reduces emotional weight and ensures progress.
Card 7
Front: What is the concept of the ‘Universal GPS’?
Back: A metaphor for manifestation. You input your goal into your mental GPS and start moving. You don’t need to know the entire route; as long as you keep moving, the universe provides the next turn and reroutes as necessary.
Card 8
Front: What is the difference between ‘running from fear’ and ‘running toward love’?
Back: Running from fear is living a life of obligation to avoid negative outcomes. Running toward love is living an authentic life motivated by passion and joy, which clarifies your true direction.
Generated using Google GenAI