One Simple Thing That's Holding You Back
We all know the person who talks the big talk, but rarely walks the walk. They are constantly spouting off the things they're going to do, saying how much they hate their job, or dreaming of moving somewhere exotic. Do they ever actually do the things they love to talk about? Not very often.
On the contrary, we also know the person who just gets things done. I call them doers. They hardly ever go on and on about what they're up to, but all of a sudden they've accomplished great things.
There's a reason they don't spend time talking about it—they're too busy actually doing it. After all, actions really do speak louder than words.
The one thing holding you back from accomplishing your biggest goals and dreams is ACTION.
"The path to success is to take massive, determined actions." —Tony Robbins
My dad is a doer. He gets an idea in his head and immediately runs with it. He (and my mom) owns a livestock operation and he’s always working on a new project. One day dad came up with the idea to expand his barn and add 6 new stock pens. Before anyone could blink, he was pouring concrete and welding pipes together.
If my dad only talked about all the barns and pens he wanted to build, they would never actually get built. Over the years, he’s learned that he has to take immediate action or his dreams never become finished, functioning realities.
Many people have lofty goals and dreams, but a much smaller amount of people actually reach those goals.
The one major thing I've noticed that holds dreamers back is their lack of action.
If you want a different job, take action. Apply for other jobs, network with everyone you can, connect with people on LinkedIn, email any people who may know of job openings, or hire a recruiter.
Determine what you're afraid of and find a way to combat the fear.
Example 1
Goal: Go full-time freelance
Fear: You're afraid of not bringing in enough income.
Combat that fear by taking action.
Action: Save up enough money to feel confident in going full-time, or secure enough clients to supplement your income.
Example 2
Goal: Run a half marathon
Fear: You're afraid of being too out of shape to complete the race or injuring yourself during the event.
Action: Research workout plans and injury prevention, pick a race date, and start training. If it’s really important to you, hire a personal trainer.
You have to decide every single day how important that goal is to you. Take action each day by sticking to your training schedule.
Example 3
Goal: Own a real estate investment business.
Fear: You’re afraid of failure and don’t even know where to start.
Action: You probably aren't going to buy 10 houses at one time. My guess is you'd likely start with one. After you buy the first one, you buy the second and third. It gets easier to make those large purchases after you've done it a couple of times. The hardest part is getting started.
Eat the elephant one bite at a time.
It seems like people often don’t take action because they simply don’t know how to get started. They’re paralyzed by their to-do lists (I do this all the time, y’all!), and their end goal seems so big and so unattainable they don’t even bother trying.
Here are a few tips to help you take action NOW.
1. Set goals + write them down
2. Start small; Break your goals down into bite-size, short-term goals.
3. Do ONE thing every day. Everyday ask yourself, "What am I doing TODAY to get me closer to my goals?"
4. Set deadlines.
5. Set up accountability
A few tricks that have helped me take massive action:
1. Work out regularly
I know it probably sounds crazy, but working out has SO many benefits. I feel better, I’m less lethargic and have more energy. I am more productive with the rest of my day (especially if I workout first thing in the morning.) It motivates me and helps me focus.
2. Write out weekly goals at the beginning of each week and divvy the tasks throughout the days of the week.
3. Set quarterly goals instead of just yearly goals.
4. Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize. (I’m saying it 3 times, because I need to hear the second two.)
Do not let fear of the unknown keep you from going after what you really want. I didn’t wake up one day and just become a business owner. I made little baby steps over the course of 3 years to get me to that goal. If I hadn’t taken any of those tiny little steps, I’d still be at my 9-to-5 waiting for my dream job to fall in my lap.
I encourage you to think about what you want every single day, and continue to ask yourself: “What am I doing today to get me closer to my goals?”
What task have you been reluctant to take action on and why? Let me know in the comments below.
You may also find this post on setting achievable goals helpful.