I have been staring at a blank page for days, knowing that I need to write, but feeling somewhat paralyzed to move my fingers. I stopped taking action. I stopped writing on a consistent basis. I just completed training to be a certified life coach coupled with a hectic yet blessed travel schedule, which are just well executed excuses when I really break it down. While my intention has always been to write, my actions have not been backing this up lately. Have you ever struggled with taking action based on your true intentions?
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about action and what it is that sometimes keeps us held back from pursuing what we truly desire. Why in the world would we procrastinate or fail to act? I don’t know about you, but sometimes in order to get back on track, I have to dissect what it is that may be a stronghold on me. As I sat here and gave it some real thought, I was able to pin point what has been holding me back which seem to be realities that could be applicable for just about anyone.
5 Realities Of Taking Action
1) Action doesn’t mean perfection.
Man do I stumble on this one. I’m a perfectionist by nature. I like things to be orderly and, well, perfect. When I sit down to write, I always have to remind myself that it’s never going to be perfect. It doesn’t always have to be epic. Often times I think we don’t take action because we feel like that action has to lead to a perfect result. That’s great to strive for, but we can’t let it keep us from taking steps, even if they are baby steps, each day towards our dreams. I just need to write. Sometimes we just need to do it.
2) Planning is not the same as doing.
Having a plan is awesome. It gives us a roadmap to where we want to go and how we intend to get there. I’m guilty of creating elaborate plans whether in my head or on paper, making to-do lists and brainstorming my master plan only to watch them fall by the wayside. Why? Because planning something isn’t the same as actually doing it. We can write up mile high to-do lists all we want, but if we aren’t taking action to check them off, what good are they? Executing a plan is the only reason to have one. I’m making moves on my lists and you should too.
3) Intention without action is just a thought.
We can have the best intentions for everything in our life and that’s a great starting point. However, notice I said starting point. Setting intention is simply the foundation for action. No one ever built anything with intention alone. Building is an action in and of itself. Intentions don’t become reality without hard work. We must take intention-based action in the pursuit of our dreams if we want them to be actualized. Action fueled by intention is a breeding ground for success. I’m reminded that action always beats intention.
4) Action leads to more motivation.
Perfect example: I sat down to write this with zero words in mind. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to write about to be honest. But I took the action and just started writing. Five hundred words later, I’ve almost completed a post and I’m already fired up with new ideas. When we sit ourselves down and do the work, the action takes care of itself and it reenergizes us.
5) Taking action creates new possibilities.
Action has a domino effect. The more actions you take, the more opportunities you end up with. When we are stuck, we can only see what we see from that position. If we don’t take steps forward, we stay right where we are, not knowing what is around the corner. However, when we make moves, we begin to see new possibilities. Usually we think, “it just happened,” but what really happened is we took action. If we are willing to act and keep trying, eventually we realize we have ten checks on the list, a sense of accomplishment and more options than when we started.
I read a question this past week that inspired me to take action and to recommit to pursuing my dreams. It seems appropriate to share so you can ask yourself:
“The question is, when you woke up this morning, did you leave your excuses on the pillow and take your dreams with you, or did you leave your dreams on the pillow and take your excuses with you?”
What comes up for you? Are there things you have been putting off? I sure know I needed a reminder to stay on my game. Sometimes you just have to jump and trust that your feet will land right where they are supposed to.