There is a famous Italian joke about a poor man who prayed every day to the statue of a saint, saying, “Please, please, make me win the lottery.” After years of praying, the saint, exasperated and weary of seeing the same man every day, says, “My son, please, please, please buy a ticket.”
This anecdote, though clearly intended to be humorous, has some nugget of truth. People expect great things to fall into their laps magically, but in reality, this rarely happens. For us to experience success, reach our goals, and achieve our dreams, we must take action.
Taking the First Step
To get to our desired destination, taking the first step is necessary to start our journey. The most important part of achieving our goals is taking the first step. We can plan our roadmap carefully and prepare ourselves well for the journey, but we will not go far unless we begin with that first step.
However, taking the first step can be the most challenging part of achieving our goals. Our fears, anxieties, and worries can hold us back and make it difficult for us to make a move. However, our goals are bigger than our fears, and we should not let negative thoughts and emotions hinder us from taking action.
Why Action is Crucial to Success
Knowing why action is crucial to our success can motivate us to start taking action. Action is essential to achieving what we want in life and can help us also make real changes in ourselves. By taking action, we get to apply the knowledge we learn along the way.
Another reason why action is vital to achieving our goals is that it helps us to eliminate the things that we don’t need or will not be helpful in our journey. We will discover what we need, what works, and what doesn’t. Taking action means going through a series of trial and error processes to discover which techniques work best. When we know what works, we will have enough energy to focus our actions on the things that can help us succeed.
Taking action also creates the habits you need to achieve your goals. For example, do you need to lose weight? Working out is one action you can take. Exercising consistently forms the habit, and eventually, it will become second nature to you. Without taking that first step and repeating it over and over again, you will not be able to achieve your goal.
Lastly, taking action can make you feel accomplished. Taking that first step towards your goal, applying what you’ve learned, and making your actions a consistent habit all take effort – and that effort counts as a huge accomplishment. Now that we know why taking action is essential, it is time to make the first move.
Being Action-Oriented
Achieving success requires us to become action-oriented. When we are focused on our actions, we minimize various distractions and negative thoughts, hindering us from reaching our desired outcome. Being action-oriented allows us to stay on the right track.
One way to be action-oriented is not to let the fear of failure hold you back or dishearten you. Know that failure and difficulties will always be part of your journey, but you should not give up on yourself or your dreams.
Another way to be action-oriented is to develop self-discipline. Procrastination is the number one enemy of action. Self-discipline is necessary to build your momentum as you take action. Lastly, being action-oriented also needs to come with a plan. Your plan will serve as your guide to your success. Without a plan, it is easy to get burnt out along the way without seeing any actual results.
We all have dreams, goals, and aspirations in life. However, for those dreams to become a reality, we need to take action. Making that bold step, to make our plans become a reality may be overwhelming in the beginning, but always remember that the ticket to your success is right in front of you. Your success is in your hands. Are you ready to use your ticket to get to your destination?
Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.’ – Conrad Hilton
