9 Proven Ways to Move from Decision to Action

A real decision is measured by the fact that you've taken a new action. If there's no action, you haven't truly decided. - Tony Robbins

I have a simple math question for you.

5 frogs are sitting on a log.

4 of the frogs decide to jump off.

How many frogs are left?

Did you answer 1?

The correct answer is still 5!

Why? Because there is a HUGE difference between making a decision and taking action.

Have you ever experienced this in your own life?

Let's take a practical example:

We all know how college students prepare for their assignments.

With fine intentions, John Scholar sets aside his entire evening to study for his forthcoming exams from 7 P.M to 11 P.M.

Here's the general pattern of how he often spends such evenings.

6.30 P.M: Dinner time.

Often, he decides to watch Netflix concurrently. It turns out to be over 1 hour of binge-watching because the movie is packed with back-to-back suspenseful scenes.

7:50 P.M: John Scholar rushes to his desk after realizing how much time he's wasted. Once he is seated, he remembers he promised to call his girl and shoots another 30 minutes!

Immediately he hangs up, his mum calls and another 20 minutes go down the drain.

And the evening planned with good intentions drifts away.

8:40 P.M: Now he's hungry again. While on his way to pick a snack from the fridge, he makes a detour for a "quick" shower to keep him fresh. Another 25 minutes misspent.

9:05 P.M: Back to his desk, an email notification pops up. "Get 40% off" coupon for a gadget he's planned to buy for ages. He just can't resist this special deal and decides to order it online right away.

9.30 P.M: Finally, Jon Scholar opens the book, starts reading the first few pages while eating his snack.

10:15 PM: Now he's too sleepy to absorb the subject. After 35 minutes of struggling to shake off sleep, he surrenders completely!

11:00 P.M: John Scholar is under the sheets snoring so loudly with an empty head! ??

John Scholar didn't get into action because he spent too much time deciding how to get into action. And he isn't the only victim of 'over-preparedness.' We also have John Salesman, John CEO, John Professor, John Writer, Jane Housewife, Jane Lawyer, etc.

The things that stop us from taking action are all-too-familiar:

• A habit of procrastinating and doing easier things;
• Not knowing where to start;
• Feeling overwhelmed;
• Failing to plan;
• Fear.

Now you realize that it’s easy to get into a mode of inaction.

But building the action habit can be a lot more difficult. 

You can break the inaction habit with these 9 proven ways to move from decision to action:

1. Be an Activationist: A Doer, not a Don't-er.

The success principle has two groups of people: Activationsits and Passivationists.

Mr. Activationist is a doer. He takes action, gets things done, and follows up ideas and plans.

Mr. Passivationist is a don'ter. He postpones doing things until he proves that shouldn't or can't do them and it's too late to start.

Pro Tip: Activate yourself. Be someone who does things!

2. Don't Wait Until the Conditions are Perfect. They Won't be.

You can be too careful and curious about planning anything to get things done. It's not your ability to eliminate all problems before they arise, but your ability to meet and work out difficulties as they arise.

You must make an intelligent compromise with perfection or else you'll wait forever to take action.

Pro Tip: Expect future obstacles and difficulties, and solve them as they arise.

3. Ideas Won't Bring Success. Ideas Succeed When You Act Upon Them.

In all big decisions, your mind will always battle with itself to act or not to act. As soon as an idea comes to your mind, resolve to take action there and then because where there's a will, there's a way.

Got a good idea? Then do something about it immediately.

Pro Tip: https://www.facebook.com/thegladiatormike/videos/404524210162478/

“An idea can be profound, but it is useless unless used” - Richard Bach, Author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull

4. Use Action to Cure Fear and Gain Confidence.

Here's something to remember. Action feeds and strengthens confidence, while all forms of inaction feed fear.

Dread making a phone call? Make it, and the dread disappears. Worried about your health and dread going to the doctor for a checkup. Go, and your worry disappears. Chances are nothing is wrong with you. If there is, you know where you stand.

Pro Tip: To build confidence, act. To increase fear - wait, put off, postpone.

5. Start Your Mental Engine - Mechanically.

An aspiring young writer who wasn't experiencing success confessed, "My trouble is, days and weeks have passed and I can't get a thing written. You see, writing is creative. You've got to be inspired. Your spirit must move you."

True, writing is creative, but you can't wait for your spirit to move you if you want to produce large volumes of successful material. You've got to move your spirit.

Use the 'mind force' technique. If you want to write, take a pen and paper, and start making mechanical motions of writing. Without being conscious of it, your mind gets on the right track! Take action, dig in, and you move the spirit.

Pro Tip: Action precedes action.

6. Think in Terms of Now.

'Now' is the magic word of success. Tomorrow, next week, later, sometime, someday are synonymous for the failure word, never.

You can have good dreams that you want to come true, but they will never materialize because you always say, "I'll start someday". Instead, you should constantly say, I'll start now, right now!"

Pro Tip: Action + Now = Success; Action + Someday = Failure

7. Get Down to Business - Pronto.

Start by telling yourself, "I'm in condition to begin right now. I can't change a thing by putting it off. I'll use my 'get ready' time and energy to get going instead."

All you have to do is get moving — open a document, start an email, write one item on a list, put on your running shoes. Devote yourself single-mindedly to get down to business.

Pro Tip:

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” –Confucius

8. Seize the Initiative.

When you see something that you believe ought to be done, pick up the ball and run like a crusader. Success comes from taking the initiative and following up...persisting... eloquently expressing the depth of your love.

What simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?

Pro Tip: Be a crusader and a volunteer

9. Eliminate All Distractions.

Have you ever jumped on your computer to write an article only to start responding to emails, checking your social networking sites, searching the internet, and watching movies on Netflix like John Scholar?

We live in a world of increasing noise. This noise can cause distractions that prevent us from being productive and makes us procrastinate. Focus in and drown out the distractions, and you will gain momentum from your production.

Pro Tip: Switch off all phone and email notifications, Close idle programs on your PC; Schedule time; Work from home; Get to work early; Don't interrupt others.

Conclusion

Do you have an idea?

Do you want to make the decision that will get you into the habit of taking action?

Use the below success ladder to jump off the log and discover all of the amazing things you can accomplish.

What are you waiting for, a certain shade of green?

Get in gear and go!

.............................................................................................................................................

Have any feedback or ideas for what you'd like to see included? Reply to this email or reach out to me at [email protected].

If this was forwarded to you — or you'd like to forward it to friends — follow me here: Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | 

Have a Revolutionary Day, Won't You???===========================END===========================