“Do I dare disturb the universe?” were words penned by world-class poet T. S. Eliot in “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The poem centers around the titular character observing life events happening around him and then stolidly talking him-self out of participating. Prufrock makes the excuses that he’s too old, too bald, or plainly too scared to pursue the things in life that interest him, comforting himself with promises that there will be time for all those things—later. Sound familiar?

Just as a J. Alfred Prufrock exists within all of us, so does our ability to disturb or disrupt the universe. As innovators, entrepreneurs, and change agents, we tend to think in terms of “disrupting” instead of “disturbing.” Regardless, we often think that upsetting cosmic balances takes a cataclysmic event, but the universe can be disrupted with a phone call, email, or simply speaking up in a meeting. When our sights are only set on monumental tasks, are we using this as a cover or an excuse? Have you ever said, “When I finish Project X, everything will fall into place,” as a fear-filled mask for effecting small changes?

Do one thing a day that disrupts your universe. If you do one thing a day that combats the muttering internal negative voices that hold you back, soon you’ll have a catalog of universe disruptions to staunch the harshest of inner critics. Do you dare disrupt the universe? You bet you do, because the universe isn’t about to change on its own. That change starts with a choice. You can choose the status quo, or you can choose to shake things up. That all begins with asking yourself every day, “How will I disrupt the universe today?

Consider this …

1. What needs disrupting in the universe around you?

2. What actions can you take right now that will be disruptive to the universe?

3. How can you create the habit of disrupting the universe each day?

For more, check out The Top Performer’s Field Guide, The Innovator’s Field Guide, or visit www.JeffStandridge.com.

(Originally published in The Innovator’s Field Guide.)