Every leader, high performer, and change-maker eventually runs into the same wall: resistance. Whether it shows up as procrastination, overthinking, or overwhelm, it slows down even the most capable people. That’s why I teach one simple phrase that shifts you from hesitation to momentum: Get it done. These three words bypass your inner negotiation and pull you into focused action. They aren’t just motivational—they’re transformational. And in a world filled with complex strategies and never-ending to-do lists, the most powerful tool you have is often the simplest one.
Why “Get It Done” Works Better Than You Think
Your Brain’s Role in Procrastination and Stress
The brain’s default setting is to conserve energy and avoid discomfort. That means when a task feels emotionally heavy, mentally exhausting, or uncertain in outcome, your brain triggers the instinct to delay. It’s not laziness—it’s protection. But while your brain is trying to keep you safe, it also keeps you stuck. Leaders who understand this neural wiring know they must disrupt it. Repeating a directive like “Get it done” creates that disruption. It tells your brain the decision has been made. There’s nothing left to negotiate. It’s time to move.
As I teach in my proprietary Change Formula, clarity plus urgency equals momentum. “Get it done” delivers both. It’s clear. It’s urgent. And most importantly, it cuts through the noise that stalls so many high performers.
Language Shapes Your Actions and Habits
The language you use with yourself either limits your potential or launches your momentum. When you say “I hope to,” “I should,” or “I might,” you are giving your brain leeway to pause, reconsider, and ultimately pull back. But “Get it done” is not a suggestion—it’s a command. And commands activate behavior. It’s a linguistic shift that cues performance. It eliminates options, eliminates excuses, and activates execution.
More than just positive self-talk, it’s action-based self-direction. It teaches your brain that action is the default, not deliberation. And when your brain begins to associate completion with identity, productivity becomes part of who you are.
Benefits of Telling Yourself “Get It Done”
You Practice Action-Based Positive Affirmations
Traditional affirmations often leave people feeling disconnected because they focus on how you want to feel rather than what you need to do. Saying “I am confident” doesn’t always resonate when you’re facing fear or doubt. But “Get it done” is an invitation to act your way into confidence. It’s a form of self-leadership that overrides temporary feelings and replaces them with permanent behavior.
Action-based affirmations like this turn your focus away from how you feel in the moment and toward what you can do in the moment. And in my experience working with top executives and teams, the people who succeed are not the ones who always feel ready—but the ones who take action anyway.
You Visualize All the Way to Reality
Visualization is one of the most underrated performance tools available—and “Get it done” is a phrase that unlocks it. When you say these words, you don’t just prime your brain for effort, you prompt it to simulate success. You begin to picture the project finished, the task behind you, the meeting handled with clarity and poise.
And here’s what’s powerful: your brain responds to imagined experience much like it does to real experience. So when you embed the habit of saying “Get it done,” you also embed the neurological blueprint of follow-through. That blueprint then informs future behavior.
You Focus Yourself Around Your Goal
In the chaos of daily leadership, distractions are abundant and decisions are endless. One of the greatest leadership advantages is the ability to recalibrate quickly. “Get it done” is a reset button—it brings you back to the mission. Whether you’re faced with a cluttered inbox, a challenging conversation, or a stalled project, these words help you cut through clutter and redirect your focus to impact.
This is how high-performing leaders maintain productivity without burnout. They use internal cues to replace indecision with action. And they keep their attention where it matters most—on progress, not perfection.
How to Make “Get It Done” Part of Your Daily Mindset
Repetition Builds Belief
Repetition is the mother of habit—and belief. The more you use a directive like “Get it done,” the more it embeds itself into your operating system. It starts as a tool and becomes a trigger. And over time, your brain links that phrase with a psychological shift into momentum.
Say it aloud when you start your day. Whisper it before you tackle a difficult task. Write it at the top of your to-do list. Let it become your mantra—not just when you feel stuck, but as a pre-emptive driver of daily focus.
Tie the Phrase to Visual Cues
To reinforce a mindset shift, attach it to something you see regularly. Post it on your mirror, your screen, your phone background. Use calendar alerts, desktop reminders, or even a wristband if needed. The brain responds to patterns—and when those patterns are visual and verbal, they form a powerful loop.
What you see, you remember. What you repeat, you believe. What you believe, you become. This simple behavioral loop is how we turn ideas into identity. “Get it done” becomes not just a phrase, but part of how you show up in the world.
Track the Impact on Your Productivity
As with any leadership behavior, measurement matters. Track how “Get it done” shifts your performance over time. Are you completing more in less time? Are you spending less energy on internal resistance? Are you finding it easier to start, follow through, and finish what matters?
Logging this kind of insight—even briefly—reinforces the value of the tool and creates a feedback loop of motivation. When you see results, your commitment deepens. And when your commitment deepens, your consistency follows.
Final Thoughts: Change Starts With Three Simple Words
Leadership isn’t just about what you say to others—it’s about what you say to yourself. In moments of resistance, your internal script determines your external results. That’s why you need language that moves you. “Get it done” is exactly that: a concise, clear call to action that replaces hesitation with decision, and avoidance with progress.
You don’t need a complex strategy to get started. You don’t need to wait for perfect timing. You need a mindset that cues motion and a habit that builds resilience. These three words are simple—but they are not small. They represent a shift in how you lead, how you act, and how you win.
Change doesn’t start with a plan—it starts with a moment. And in that moment, you have a choice. Speak hesitation—or speak movement. “Get it done” is a movement. Make it yours.
