PDF Summary:You Can Just Do Things, by Jay Yang

Far too many people spend their lives waiting for a signal that it’s OK to strive for the things they really want to do. In You Can Just Do Things, entrepreneur Jay Yang argues that you don’t need to wait for someone else to approve or validate your dreams—the barrier between ideas and actions is inside you. Yang offers a bold yet practical strategy of acting without waiting for permission—one that he promises will empower you to finally build the life you want.

In this guide, we’ll explain how you can prepare yourself for taking action without waiting on anyone’s permission. Next, we’ll discuss how to convert those preparations into progress toward your goals. We’ll also expand on Yang’s ideas with advice from experts on success, productivity, and self-empowerment, such as Grant Cardone, Jeff Haden, and Keith Ferrazzi.

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Ideally, whatever organization you join will have an onboarding process for new members that will make it easier for you to take the steps Haden suggests. This might include having an orientation period to encourage attendance and help you find a place, letting you judge how your skills and values fit in with the rest of the group, providing training on how you can be of service, and charting a path to form relationships between you, older members, and fellow newcomers.

Step #4: Learn to Sell Yourself

Your knowledge and connections create a strong foundation to help you realize your dreams. However, Yang asserts that your ability to sell yourself—to convince people that your abilities and ideas have real value—ultimately determines whether you succeed or fail. That’s why he says the final step of preparation is to develop your sales skills.

While the author frames this idea in terms of selling, it’s effective in situations well beyond literal sales and marketing. Every time you present an idea to a colleague or manager, or persuade someone to collaborate with you on a project, you’re trying to make a “sale.”

(Shortform note: Yang isn’t the only one to point out that, like it or not, the value of salesmanship has never been higher. In To Sell Is Human, Daniel H. Pink argues that the modern workplace managed to transform us all into “sellers.” He discusses this in terms of non-sales selling: convincing others to exchange resources that may or may not include money. In particular, economic and technological shakeups like 2008’s Great Recession and the advent of the digital age forced all workers to learn to sell things, such as solutions to problems, their varied skillsets, and even themselves (in the search for new careers). Whereas traditional sales were all about profit, Pink suggests that modern-day selling trades on connection, optimism, and focus.)

According to Yang, the core principle of sales is connecting what you can offer to what your would-be customer genuinely needs. However, in order to do that, you first need to learn about your target audience. An effective sales pitch should focus on the customer’s desires, frustrations, and (most importantly) a problem they’re currently trying to solve. If you convince the other person that you understand them, and that you’re offering a real solution to their problem, you’ll have successfully sold yourself.

For example, if you’re trying to become a successful artist, find people who want to commission art for their own projects, and convince them to buy your services. First, identify the problem: People want pictures of particular subjects in a particular style, and have limited money to spend on those pictures. Next, try to convince those people that you can solve their problem—you have the listening skills to understand their vision, the artistic skills to realize it, and the flexibility to work within their budget.

(Shortform note: The process of learning about your customer and their needs may not be as simple as Yang seems to suggest, but you can approach the problem scientifically. In Click, Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky explain that at first, all you have are guesses about who your customers are and what problems they need solved. To see if your thinking is on the right track, they recommend a two-day session called a Foundation Sprint in which you (and your team, if applicable) boil down your basic assumptions about your customers, their needs, and why your solution is better than the alternatives. The end result of the sprint is a testable hypothesis that you can use to guide your initial efforts before committing fully to a specific approach.)

Part Two: From Preparation to Progress

Preparation mitigates the risks of bold action and ensures that you’re ready to take advantage of opportunities. However, Yang points out that preparing yourself for action doesn’t do any good if you just wait for opportunities that never appear. Therefore, the remainder of this guide will explore what he calls creation: the process of turning your preparatory work into real opportunities and meaningful progress toward your dream.

This section begins by explaining that you have to seek out opportunities yourself, rather than waiting for them to come to you. We’ll then discuss how you can stand out from the crowd of people who are trying to achieve the same kind of dream that you are. Finally, we’ll discuss the core principle of Yang’s entire method, which is to simply take action—regardless of your current circumstances or whether you feel ready, you just have to get started.

(Shortform note: We’ll discuss Yang’s specifics on how to get started in the following sections, but the main thing that stops people from feeling “ready” is fear of failure. However, in The 10X Rule, Grant Cardone says that fear can indicate that you’re on the right track and that you’re pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone. Embracing fear lets you do new things and grow, but Cardone also says to be careful—the longer you let fear build up, the stronger it becomes. Instead of letting that happen, Cardone makes the same recommendation Yang does: Immediately do whatever you’re scared to because the only thing that banishes fear is action.)

Go Where the Opportunities Are

Yang’s first piece of advice is to go where the thing you care about is happening—seek out opportunities, as well as people who can make opportunities for you. Seeking opportunities could mean attending conventions and conferences related to your field, or even just showing up at job fairs. Alternatively, if you’re in a position to do so, it could mean moving someplace where the relevant industry is active and growing. For instance, if you’re interested in computer engineering, you might move to Silicon Valley, or to Hollywood if you want to get involved in the movie industry.

Yang adds that, when showing up physically isn’t an option, an online presence is the next best thing. Online communities, social media, and industry forums allow you to get involved from anywhere in the world. However, this approach can make it even more difficult to get yourself noticed—after all, people online don’t really see you, just a username and maybe a profile picture. Therefore, it’s crucial to actively participate in conversations and collaborative projects so you can start building real relationships with others in your field.

Connect and Follow Through

Creating in-person connections in your field is a powerful tool, as Yang points out, but equally important is how well and how often you follow up with them. In Never Eat Alone, consultant Keith Ferrazzi says that if you make connections but don’t put in the work to keep them fresh, your network will quickly crumble. He recommends regularly checking in with your contacts, either by phone, by email, or in person. Reaching out to people shows that you care about them enough to want to keep your connection strong. As your network grows, you’ll find it increasingly time-consuming to follow up with all of your professional contacts, so to keep up with everyone, Ferrazzi says to use every lunch break to meet with someone.

Ferrazzi offers specific advice for making connections online through social media: Approach potential contacts yourself or get them to come to you. When doing the former, he advises against approaching users with high follower counts—they get so many requests every day that yours is likely to be missed or ignored. When you do reach out, send them a private message expressing your interest in getting to know them, and once you’ve messaged back-and-forth a few times, try to arrange to meet them face-to-face. In-person meetings will always be stronger than those conducted solely online.

To get social media users to come to you with requests to network, you’ll need to create compelling online content that piques people’s interest and makes them want to know you. Types of useful content include posts that offer useful information, that describe your struggles and successes, and that come across as unique in some way. No matter what type of content you choose to create, Ferrazzi says to make sure it reflects your authentic personality. Contacts are more likely to be longer-lasting if people connect with the real you, not an online persona you created.

Stand Out From Your Competitors

Once you’re in the right environment, the next challenge is getting the attention of people who can help you realize your dreams. Generally speaking, these are people who have already done what you’re trying to do, or who can get you a job in your area of interest.

Yang says that, counterintuitively, small gestures are the best way to set yourself apart from your rivals: for instance, handing someone a well-designed business card, or asking an insightful question that demonstrates more than a superficial understanding of their work. Such things signal that you take yourself and your work seriously—that you put in extra effort in situations where many people settle for doing the minimum.

On a similar note, the author says another way to stand out is to take on extra work whenever possible. For instance, you could get involved in special projects at work, stay late without being asked, or offer to handle the tedious tasks that nobody else wants to do.

(Shortform note: Whether it’s going the extra mile to make a connection or taking on extra tasks to set yourself above the rest, it’s only human to expect (or at least hope for) an equal payback, but that’s not necessarily what Yang’s advice might yield. Nevertheless, the extra effort is worth it: In Give and Take, Wharton professor Adam Grant argues that those who give more than they get from others end up with more success in the long run because they build better reputations and more useful networks. These gains offset any short-term unfairness you may feel if others don’t immediately reward your small gestures or extra work in kind.)

Finally, Yang suggests that you focus on people who are just slightly ahead of you in your chosen field, as opposed to those at the very top of the industry. He argues that this approach gives you the best chance of finding someone who’s willing to give you support and advice. For instance, if you want to become a novelist, you might try to befriend someone who’s published a book or two, not a world-famous best-selling author.

Conversely, attempts to catch the attention of the most respected or most powerful people in your field are almost sure to fail. Such people are often impossible to reach directly, or already have countless other people barraging them with questions and requests. Therefore, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able (or willing) to provide the help you’re looking for.

(Shortform note: In The Motivation Myth, Jeff Haden agrees with Yang’s strategy of using someone working in the field you aspire to as a model (as opposed to hiring a professional coach) because someone who isn’t a mentor by trade will simply demonstrate what it takes to succeed and expect you to do it. However, he doesn’t share Yang’s qualms about picking someone who’s a high achiever in your field, because once you’ve identified a person to emulate, you don’t have to meet them in real life—just pick someone whose path you want to mirror and do what they did without taking shortcuts. Haden says it’s not the person that you need but the program for success they used.)

You’ll Never Feel Ready; Take Action Anyway

Yang says the final step is to just show up and do the thing you want to do, whether or not you feel ready for it. He explains that waiting until you feel “ready” is another form of waiting for permission, but in this case you’re seeking it from yourself. As such, the same principles apply: You might never get the permission you’re waiting for, but you don’t need it.

This is a direct challenge to the perfectionism that keeps many people stuck in place. Perfectionists never feel truly ready—they’ll never tell themselves that it’s OK to create something meaningful, or to share what they’ve created—so they spend their whole lives planning and preparing instead of doing.

(Shortform note: The problem with the perfectionism Yang describes is that it disguises itself as a virtue. In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert explains that while it may feel like you’re simply holding yourself to a high standard, perfectionism is really a manifestation of the fear of not being worthy. If you let it, perfectionism can stop a project in its tracks or prevent you from even starting it for fear that it won’t be perfect, and that’s the worst possible way to honor your dreams.)

Yang says that instead of giving into that perfectionist urge, you should just start working, and keep working. Instead of waiting for the perfect conditions, practice working under whatever conditions you find yourself in. Create something, even if it’s not good; you’ll make progress on your dream, and develop your skills in the process.

Also, share what you’re doing with the people around you. Show them your process, however messy it might be, instead of just your completed work. Let them see and respond to what you’re doing every step of the way. Market yourself and your work as an ongoing practice, and invite others to join you in that practice. According to Yang, this is how you’ll get the attention and support you need to finally turn your dreams into reality.

(Shortform note: If you’d like a more methodical program to get the ball rolling on your dream project, Sahil Bloom (The 5 Types of Wealth) suggests a “30-for-30 approach” in which you dedicate 30 minutes per day to working on what you want to achieve, and do it for 30 days in a row. This lets you commit to your project without the pressure of having to perform well or deliver great results right out of the gate. As for whether you should promote yourself, Bloom points out that no one else will do it for you, especially while your plans are just gaining traction.)

As a final message, remember that doing nothing is guaranteed to accomplish nothing, whereas taking action makes it possible to succeed. Even when you do fail—which Yang warns you often will—you’ll find that the consequences are never as bad as you expect, and the lessons you learn from your mistakes will far outweigh their costs.

The “Fail-Safe” Mindset

Yang’s advice about failure may be hard to fully absorb, since most of us have spent our whole lives in the belief that failure is bad. In Right Kind of Wrong, Harvard professor Amy Edmonson says you can unlearn this by developing certain skills that lead to a “fail-safe” mindset. The first skill to cultivate is resilience, the ability to keep trying after you encounter a setback. Many people fear failure because they view it as final, but pushing through the embarrassment and frustration that failure triggers will make it seem much less threatening.

The second skill Edmondson discusses is accountability—recognizing and admitting to your role in a failure without shifting the blame to someone else. While owning up to your failures is briefly uncomfortable, this practice will ease your feelings of guilt, making your mistakes much less painful in the long run. The third to practice is reflection—examining your past failures so you can learn from them and do better in the future. Reflection empowers you to view failure as an opportunity worth embracing, rather than as something negative to be avoided.