Don't Take Action, Make Action by Ian Lauer
Time and time again you have heard people say, “take action.” This advice meant to get you off your keister and on your way to achieving your goals. Though these words of wisdom are spouted with the most positive of intentions, they are repeated at nauseum and frequently leave us wanting. In the end, we are no closer to achieving our ambitions than we were before. Our enthusiasm fizzles and we are right back where we started.
Why is this? Is it because “take action” is said so frequently that it becomes white noise? Is it because you don’t know what action to take? Is it because what you think is the right action to take isn’t available when you’re geared up and ready to take it? Bear with me for just a moment longer on this train of thought. I want you to think back into your past and answer the next question honestly. Have you ever found yourself eager to take action only to see no opportunities available and when an opportunity finally does presents itself you are no longer charged and ready to grab life by the scruff? If you’re like me and many others, the answer is a resounding YES!
The question then becomes, “What do you do about it to get off your butt and strike while the iron and inspiration are hot?” I’ll tell you what you do, you change ONE LITTLE LETTER. You no longer say to yourself “Take action.” Instead, you tell yourself to “Make action!” “Semantics,” you say. “What can changing one little letter do for me?” That one little letter is the difference between charging forward and achieving your goals or spinning your wheels and finding yourself in the exact same position a year from now.
Can you guess why changing the phrase you tell yourself from “Take action” to “Make action” makes such a huge difference? Go on, think about it for a moment. Ok, I can’t wait any longer. I must tell you. It’s because when you “take” something, it has to be provided by SOMEONE ELSE. When you try to
“take” you’re at the mercy of someone else’s timeframe. When it’s finally there for the taking you’re no longer charged and ready to make the most of the opportunity. This is why you must MAKE ACTION.
When you “Make action” you are no longer waiting on someone else. You are in charge. You start the momentum rolling. You set the small goals and action steps in pursuit of your ambitions. There’s no waiting on someone to give you permission or provide an opportunity. Make action immediately. The size of the action is not as important as making it now. Do it while your inspiration level is high, and you will quickly find that formerly unavailable opportunities will naturally present themselves. What’s more is that they will appear to you either of your own doing or from outside. At that point it doesn’t matter because you are already underway, and these opportunities will meet you in stride adding to your self-created momentum.
I’ll leave you with this final thought. When we think of people in history of significant accomplishment, trailblazers like Washington, Lincoln, Franklin, Edison, and Ford come to mind. How did they accomplish so much? I can tell you without doubt these men didn’t Take the path of least resistance to achieve greatness. These men decided to Make a path where none previously existed.
What is it that you want to do that you’ve been putting off? Quit waiting. Start doing. Blaze your own trail. Make action today!
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