D.A.R.E

I want to congratulate you on knowing your big dream. You are halfway there. In this article we’re looking at the 'A' in DARE. That’s Action. A goal without action is just a dream. And everyone else has dreams. Only successful people take that dream and take proper steps towards making it a reality.

Brian Tracy asserted “A goal however is something distinctly different from a wish. It is clear, written and specific. It can be quickly and easily described to another person. You can measure it, and you know when you have achieved it, or not.”

In his words, your big dream is essentially a wish. At this point you need to take action and turn it into a goal. That’s the only way you can achieve it. So take that big dream, make it clear and specific then attach a deadline to it. And most importantly, write it down.

I, [insert your name], will accomplish [insert your big goal] by [insert a deadline].

Why should you act:

“The average person starts life traveling through an unmapped and uncharted world with no road map. This is the equivalent of starting off in life with no goals and plans. He or she simply figures things out as he or she goes along. Often, ten or twenty years of work will go past and the individual is still broke, unhappy in his or her job, dissatisfied with his or her marriage and making little progress. And still, he or she goes home every night and watches television, wishing and hoping that things would get better. But they seldom do.”

Those are the words of Brian Tracy and I couldn’t have answered that question any better myself. As you move toward your goals you feel happier and stronger. You feel more energized and effective. You feel more confident and competent in yourself and your abilities. Every step you take toward your goals increases your belief that you can set and achieve even bigger goals in the future.

So why should you act? The answer is simple: because you will be far better if you do.

What does it take to act:

·?????Dismiss fear of failure and rejection.

·?????Accept Responsibility for Your Life

·?????Focus on the Benefits of Completing a Task

·?????Share Your Goal with a Friend Who Will Help You

·?????Break Large Tasks Down into Smaller Ones(We’ll talk more about this in the next article)

·?????Allocate Specific Times to Tasks You Might Procrastinate.

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What should you not do when taking action:

·?????Don’t look for justification when things don’t go your way.

·?????Don’t use rationale to refuse responsibility for the actions you take.

·?????Not everyone is going to like you. That’s just a fact of life. Don’t be so dependent on other people’s opinion that it holds you back.

·?????Don’t pass blame for anything onto anyone or anything, including yourself. Find out what went wrong, fix it and start again.

·?????Don’t tell people, aside from a trusted confidant you can be accountable to, so that they don’t use the information against you.

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When do you act?

The answer is very simple: Right Now! You can not afford to wait. Some people spend their time waiting for the perfect moment to act. There is no perfect moment to act. Scott Allan asserted that: “It isn’t confidence that comes first, but taking action. Confidence follows action.”

Don’t wait until you feel ready or until you get some thing before you take action. Do it now. Right now! A tiny step towards your goals is still a step towards success. Ready? No. Are you going to do it anyway? Absolutely!

Next we will look at what comes next. See you there!