Legacy Doesn't Live in "We Should"

“Motion tricks you into thinking you are moving. Only action builds what lasts.”

Every organization has been there.

The conversations sound good.

“We should capture that knowledge.”

“We should write down the process.”

“We should bring in more people.”

That is motion. It feels like progress because words are flying and heads are nodding. But motion is not action.

Here is the problem. When we keep saying “we should” or “you should,” we are not moving forward. We are just shoulding (💩) on ourselves and on others. It sounds harsh but it is true. “Should” piles up like clutter until nothing gets done. 

An organization may meets every spring to talk about updating the volunteer handbook. Everyone agrees it is needed. Everyone has ideas. By summer, the book is still not written. Fall arrives and the team is frustrated because they have no clear direction. Then a long-time leader leaves and takes years of knowledge with them. The torch was supposed to be passed but instead it gets dropped.

That's the cost of motion. It tires people out faster than real work ever could. It kills trust. People see the cycle of “we should” that never turns into “we did” and they quietly stop showing up. Legacy does not vanish all at once. It fades away one unacted idea at a time.

Action changes the story. Action builds confidence. Action shows people their effort matters. Action protects history and turns it into a system that future leaders can use instead of guess at. Action keeps the legacy alive.

Protecting the future is not about endless talk. It is about doing the work, one system at a time. Write the binder. Record the steps. Pass on the torch before the flame dies out.

The organizations that thrive are the ones that stop applauding motion and start demanding action.

Your Legacy Depends on Action.

If this hit a nerve, that is a good thing.

What is one motion you know has been circling too long in your organization, and what action can you take this month to move it forward?

Your legacy depends on it.

Let's Get to Work

Kryssie ❦