Stop Talking, Start Doing: : A Kick in the Pants in Six Parts [Paperback]

Shaa Wasmund Q&A

You call your new book, Stop Talking, Start Doing, a kick in the pants in six parts. It’s about getting off your bum and achieving your goals. Is your advice in the book based on your own experience? What things have you stopped talking about and started?

I always try to ‘walk my talk’ and most of the time you’ll find me doing more than just nattering. I’ve been the world’s only female boxing manager (starting working with World Super Middleweight Champion, Chris Eubank) I’ve started a number of businesses, including collaborating with the likes of Sir James Dyson, Theo Paphitis and Sir Bob Geldof. I’ve been voted Cosmopolitan Magazines’ ‘Businesswomen of the Year’, written two books, am bringing up a wonderful son (as a single mother) and have overcame my struggle with asthma. All of this has been done through pure determination and a ‘doing’ attitude.  It’s important to remember that doesn’t mean I always succeed, but 99% of the time I try! Whether that’s writing a book, running 5 miles or even getting your home office organised, we all put things off and this book is to help others to Stop Talking about those things and Start Doing them!

Why did you write this book?

This is a management book – a personal management book. How many people do you know who’ve been moaning about stopping smoking, getting fit, getting out of a crap relationship, changing career or starting their own business and a year later they’re still talking about it.  I’ve mentored and coached lots of people in my career and the thing that frustrates me the most, is people who hold themselves back. It’s usually an unfounded fear of something that doesn’t exist that stops them. So I wanted to write a book that makes you feel good, but more importantly makes you realise that anything you want to do is genuinely achievable. This book helps people to understand the issues that stop you doing what you want to do, how you overcome them and most importantly helps you to start NOW. I wrote it to encourage people just to get going and then once you start, momentum will build for itself. Stop Talking Start Doing is a movement to encourage people to get off their backsides and go do whatever it is they want to do. Otherwise they’ll get to 80 and think, “I could’ve, should’ve, would’ve, but I didn’t.”

You’re hoping to inspire others with Stop Talking. Who has inspired you most to stop talking and start doing? 

The two people who’ve inspired me most is my mum and my Nan. My Nan is 86 and she never stops, you’ll never hear her make an excuse, she’ll never give up or say she’s too old.  Then there’s my mum. She gave me the single greatest piece of advice I’ve ever heard. When I was just 11 or 12 she said, “Shaa, never ever live your life by other people’s limitations”.  That has stuck with me ever since. It made me realise it didn’t matter if other people were better than me at some things or I was better than other people at other things. What it showed, is you need to understand yourself and don’t live in pigeonholes that other people try and create for you. That person could be anyone; it might be your career advisor who said, “You’re really good at maths, so you should get a job in the city.” Well you might be great at maths but you could love art even more, so you end up working in the city and you have a miserable life because what you actually wanted to do was paint. That advice really resonated with me because you’ve got to live your life for yourself.

The book is really visual, full of images and graphics. Why did you decide to include these?

The truth is people learn best when you can combine more than one way of learning – so rather than just conveying my messages through words, I combine them with visuals. I want this book to make a difference, to start a movement of people ‘doing’ things. Stop Talking Start Doing is a practical guide that shows you how you can kick-start change in your life. It’s meant to be fast paced and exciting. A book filled with page after page of text isn’t going to get you on your feet and making a start straight away. Images and short, sharp points mean each message is simple to take in and cuts out the nonsense, so you actually start doing rather than procrastinating reading over text for months and months.

Do you still have things you want to achieve in life? What are you going to start next?

I hope I’ll be like my Nan and always have things I want to achieve in life, no matter how old I am. For now though, I’m focused on changing the culture we have in this world. I want to eradicate that mindset where people simply float through life. I want to initiate a Stop Talking Start Doing movement where people switch off the TV and start making things happen. I don’t want people to get to the end of their life and think, “ I wish I had...”

What are your top 5 tips for making things happen?

• Firstly, tell people close to you about your plans and tell them you’re going to do it. We’re all more likely to see a project through to the finish if we make our ambition public. The expectations of others will help push our dreams through.
• Break your plan into pieces. If you make the work manageable you will reduce the chances of being over-awed or feeling like you’re taking on too much.
• Celebrate each little success you have. These can be as simple as buying some sweets, having a night out or listening to music.
• Write a diary and record everything you do. This will help your progress seem more real and will help remind you of what the next stage you need to take is.
• Keep reminding yourself of the reasons you want change. This will help keep you on course and will inspire you to make things happen.