4 level of Action

One question I have received over the last few month is, “Exactly how much action is necessary to create success?” not surprisingly everyone is looking for the secret shortcut and equally unsurprisingly is the following fact: there are no shortcuts. The more action you take, the better your chances are of getting a break. Disciplined, consistent and persistent action are more of a determining factors in the creation of success than any other combination of things. Understanding how to calculate and take the right amount of action is more important than your concept, idea invention or business plan.

Most people fail only because they are operating at the wrong degree of action. To simplify action, I am going to break down your choices into four simple categories or degrees of action. Your four choices are:

1.?????Do nothing

2.?????Retreat

3.?????Take normal levels of action

4.?????Take Massive Action

Before I get into describing each of these, it is important to understand that everyone utilizes all four degree of action at some point of time in their life and especially in response to different areas of life. For instance, you might use massive action in your career but then completely retreat when it comes to your civic duty and responsibility. Another person might do nothing when it comes to learning about social media, even retreat from it. Another might only take normal level of action when it comes to eating healthy and exercising but then over excel (take massive action) when it comes to destructive habits. A person obviously going to excel and do best in those areas in which he or she invests the most attention and take the most action.

Unfortunately, most people on the planet spend their time in the first 3 levels of actions; doing nothing, retreating something or just operating at normal levels of activity. The first 2 degree of actions (Doing nothing, or retreat) are the basic reason of failure, and the third level of degree (Normal level) will only create a normal existence at best. Only the most successful people hit on the very high level of action that I refer to as Massive. So let’s look at each of the four degrees to see what they mean and why you might choose each in a range of situations and areas of life.

The First degree of Action??

?“Doing nothing” is exactly what it sounds like: no longer taking actions to move yourself forward in order to learn, achieve or control some area. Please who do nothing in their career, relationships, or whatever they want have probably give up on their dreams and are now willing to accept pretty much whatever comes their way.

Despite how it may sound, do not assume that doing nothing requires no energy, effort and work. Regardless of which degree of action you operate in, they all require work in their own way. Signs that you are doing nothing include exhibiting boredom, lethargy, complacency and lack of purpose.

People in this group find themselves spending their time and energy justifying their situation which requires as much work as the other level of Actions.

The Second degree of Action

?Retreaters are those who take actions in reverse, probably in order to avoid negative experience that they imagine will come as a result of taking action. Like doing nothing, retreating is an action that requires effort and hard work. Watch a healthy child, and you will see that it is not normal human behaviour to retreat but rather to advance and conquer.

Regardless of the reasons why retreaters move themselves in the opposite direction of goals, the outcome is usually the same. I would Imagine that everyone reading this knows someone who retreats and perhaps you can even see how you retreat in some area of your life, any realm in which you have assumed you can no longer advance and improve and now deciding that there is “Nothing you can do” would be considered as area of retreat.

The Third degree of Action

People who take normal levels of actions are probably the most prevalent in our society today. This is the group that appears on the surface to be taking this necessary amounts of action to be “Normal.” This level of action creates the middle class and is actually the most dangerous because it is considered acceptable. People in this group spend their lives taking enough action to appear average and create normal lives, marriages and careers, however they never do quite enough to create real success.

Average by definition, assumes “Less than extraordinary” it is truly to some degree or another, just an alternative description of retreat and doing nothing.

Be honest with yourself; Do you have more energy and creativity available than you’re using? Average student, average finance, average business, average products, average body type… who really desires “average?” Imagine that the products and services we are so often tempted to buy used “Average” in their advertising: “This fairly average product can be found at an average price and delivers average results.” Who would buy such a product?

The Fourth degree: Massive Action

Though it might sound far-fetched, massive action is the most natural state of action there is for all of us. Look at children; they are in constant action, except when something is wrong. Did that happen to you? Until adults started telling me otherwise, I didn’t know anything else other than Massive Action.

Massive action is actually the level of action that creates new problems and until you create problems, you are not operating at the fourth degree of Action. You can’t think in terms of compliments or how many hours you work or even how much money you are making when you are operating at this degree. Instead, you have to approach each day as though your life and your future depends on your ability to take massive actions. Taking Massive action means making somewhat unreasonable choices and then following these up with even more action. Making Massive action a discipline will break you through obscurity, increase your value to the marketplace, and help you generate Success in any area you elect.

To your breakthrough,

Ramesh Patra.