The first step is always the hardest. Your mind will come up with all sorts of scenarios to prevent you from taking that scary first step toward your goal. That does not mean you are a coward, though. It is just your brain’s way of defending yourself.
Sometimes you have to listen to what your heart has to say and just do it. Everything else will be a lot easier once you get past the first hurdle – and that is to ignore your brain’s dire warnings and go with your gut instinct.
Don’t confuse the need for taking action as doing something literally or physically. There are many other ways for you to take action without ever lifting a finger. For instance, consider the act of planning.
It is never wise to try achieving a goal without a plan. If you want to spend the least amount of time and effort in achieving your goal, then you need to come up with a step-by-step plan for accomplishing it.
A good plan takes into account all potential consequences as well as all the possible avenues you may take in order to reach your objective.
Are you feeling nervous or nauseous? Does the effort to reach your goal stress you out? It is normal to feel uneasy about tackling a challenging goal. Taking action is often synonymous to taking risk. You are nervous because you know that risks can either end with success or failure, and who wants to end up failing?
Whenever you feel like there is a panic attack coming on, just take a deep breath. Better yet, take several deep breaths. Studies show how breathing can effectively clear the mind and help calm your nerves. Go ahead and breathe - inhale all the way from your stomach to take full advantage!
You may think that you are the only one suffering a certain kind of problem, but you are not. With a little research, you are sure to find something in common with ordinary and extraordinary people.
Look around you. If you are authentic and open about your challenges you are bound to find someone in a similar situation.
Be your own person. Do not push yourself to achieve the same things others have done in the same way they did. In the end, you have to remind yourself that every person is unique and, consequently, has their own set of strengths and weaknesses.
Also, it could be that you are just starting out and the other person you are comparing yourself to is years ahead of you in terms of expertise and experience. The other person cannot afford to take baby steps, but you can and you should!
If you rush things too much, everything may end up backfiring on you.
This is obviously related to the previous tip, but it is different in the way that it takes into account what you want to do with your time.
It is good to have a plan for everything, but you do not have to accomplish everything in a single day. Even if you have the energy to do so, those around you (family members, co-workers) who have a stake in reaching your shared goals may not have the time and similar energy to do so.
Give them a break. If all of you work hard, then you all deserve to rest. There is always tomorrow.
Pressuring yourself is different from motivating yourself. Motivating yourself will get you to take action while pressuring yourself will only succeed in paralyzing yourself.
There are going to be others in your life that will try to pressure you about getting things done. Why burden yourself with more pressure when you can give yourself a pep talk instead?
Competition can motivate you because the more you delay, the further behind you will be in achieving your goal. Friendly competition is also effective for staying focused and getting you pumped up, but be careful!
If you let yourself focus too much on the competition, then you may end up forgetting about the bigger picture. In the end, being too competitive may be another source of distraction that you absolutely do not need.
Taking action requires you to have faith in yourself – especially if people around you are telling you that you cannot do it. Remember no one know you better than yourself. You know what you are capable of. If you believe that the goal you have in mind is well within your reach, then it truly is – no matter what others may say.
Just because you have someone with you and willing to help you out doesn’t imply that you are not strong enough to accomplish your goal. It also does not make your goal any less satisfying. If anything, the goal becomes sweeter because you have someone to share it with!
If you feel that you need your spouse or best friend to be at your side to accomplish a particular goal, then go and make it happen with them.
Taking action also does not mean that you have to do everything alone. Say your goal is to build a house. Does that mean you should do everything, from pouring concrete to installing shingles? Of course not!
Taking action may also mean finding the best person to do the job. Do not be shy about admitting that something is well beyond your actual KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities). There are just some things in life that are better left in the hands of an expert.
A lot of people confuse taking action as doing something that directly contributes to achieving a specific goal. What they fail to understand is that sometimes, indirect actions also matter just as much.
Sometimes that action is just an internal mental shift. For instance, the act of forgetting about your pride. Some people may say that it has nothing to do with achieving a goal, but what if it is your pride that is holding you back from getting much-needed help from an expert?
What if there comes a point in time that you realize that the first step you took was actually the wrong one? Or what if you suddenly realize that what you are doing is not taking you toward your goal but away from it?
If this happens, the only action you SHOULD NOT take is quitting.
If you realize that something is wrong, then clear your mind and retrace your steps until you find out what critical mistake you committed. Correct it and move on. If you have to, start from scratch – the sooner, the better!
As mentioned earlier on, the process of achieving one’s goal is never ending. Taking action also means that you have to get back on your feet if you stumble. It is even okay if you have to start all over again. In the end, what is critical is that you do not let your failures keep you from continuously taking action and moving forward.
Pick yourself up, dust off, and learn from your mistakes. You will be a better and stronger person for doing this!
Plans – just like rules – can be broken. And you need to be prepared for that eventuality right from the start by having a back-up plan ready.
Others feel that back-up plans are akin to admitting failure. It is not. Rather, back-up plans are actually a smart way of acknowledging the fact that change is the only thing that is constant in the world. There is no way for you to predict what is going to happen in the next minute, but you can try to prepare for things that could happen.
Taking action gives you direction but that is not what it is all about. You also have to consider the resources you have on hand. How do you make the most out of them? What other resources do you need in order to make a move? Where can you get it?
Willpower and motivation, as well as focus, are all great things to have but these are internal resources. You also have to back up your plan with external and concrete resources like money, manpower, and skills.
There are two kinds of risks: manageable and unmanageable. You are lucky if all the steps in your action plan are manageable risks. What if they are not? Should you stop and let all your previous hard work go to waste?
Risks are scary, and it is a good thing that you are aware of them. Those who think they can take on any kind of risk are simply foolhardy and reckless. That is not courage, it is a lack of wisdom.
If you come across an unmanageable risk or a risk where the stakes are too high, do look before you leap. Consider the ups and downs, but most importantly of all – consider what your brain and guts have to say. Then leap – and leap high – if you really need to!
You have to know when to give up and change tactics. On paper, your plan may look fool proof and absolutely brilliant, but a lot of things in the real world are unpredictable and derail your plan.
You have to know when to stop knocking yourself against the wall and find another way toward reaching your goal. Remember: when there is a will, there is a way. If your Plan A did not work, what else is your Plan B good for if you are not willing to use it?
The most successful people I know are always active participants. Instead of passively waiting, hoping, and wishing that something would happen to them – they are proactive and make things happen.
They are not the kind to wait for a sign from the fates or a falling star to appear before they get moving. If they have a goal in sight, and they have a plan for achieving it, then they will move heaven and earth to get it.
Existing commitments may be a valid reason slowing the progress toward your goal. You also have to understand that some of these commitments are never going to go away. They are there for life. Don not let these “commitments” keep you from taking necessary action.
You have to be firm with yourself and give yourself a deadline. It may be a date further out than you wanted. Sometimes, that is the only way to get things done.
When you do commit yourself to a plan of action be decisive about it. This keeps your progress steady and make it easier for you to achieve your goal. If you are in a leadership position, people are unlikely to have faith in your decision if they can see your faith and commitment wavering.
You have to show them that you know what needs to be done and you have the power to help everyone reach their goals – if they follow you.