Conquer Fear, Take Action!

People who talk about doing something, yet take no action end up frustrated. They have a tremendous idea, it germinates, and is fertilized a little bit. In the end; it dies. Why did it die? The “art” of taking action was probably not understood. To build a successful business you must learn to take action. It is really a simple concept; however, it is not easy to accomplish.

Fear is the biggest enemy. Fear paralyzes so many people. It robs them from the success they should be enjoying. It is much easier to “play it safe” and not take the next step. Taking the next step requires action and the willingness to accept failure. Failing to take action day after day will ensure that the business will not succeed.

I learned the hard way. I thought success was inevitable - if I only took the initial step. Once I beat the insecurities that lurked around the monster, fear, I took action. I fully expected success to follow.

It eluded me.

I became frustrated and stopped taking any more steps forward. I became paralyzed now by a feeling of failure.

Why would I expect that taking the first step would ensure success? Nobody ever taught me that. Did anyone ever really teach me that “slow and steady wins the race?” Well, yeah they did, but I wasn’t really listening.

I didn’t understand what taking action really meant. I didn’t understand that it required diligence and patience. I did not embrace incremental progress.

My mental model was centered around taking the first big step forward. Then, I would sit back and watch the rest fall into place. I thought that I had to do everything at the front end of building a business. If I did everything possible right away, I was building a foundation that would support my entire business.

I failed. I started to blame everyone and everything for the failure to launch my first internet business. I started to discount the wisdom that was imparted to me by my mentors. I would lament to my wife - “everything I try to do fails.” Even though I had run a profitable consultancy for four years, my success was dwarfed by the failure to start an internet business.

I began to hear some of my mentors talk about taking action - one step at a time. They explained how they would write on an index card one thing that they were going to do to improve their internet business. Then each day they did what was written on the card.

Doesn’t this sound simple?

Actually it is. It has taken me some time to really take this advice to heart, but over time I finally started to believe it. Why?

I started to do it. No matter if I saw any results from what I did; I began to take action everyday.

I actually took this giant leap after applying a concept that I had learned outside of the walls of internet space. I knew that to sustain growth and experience success, I had to “hard-wire” taking action right into every part of my life. It had to be as natural as breathing. It had to be as consistent as a beating heart. By taking action day after day, even if it was as simple as writing an article, I was beginning to make it part of my life.

I go to the gym 4 days a week. I have guys that hold me accountable. If I don’t feel like “working out” on any given day, I get an email from one of my buddies asking me when I am headed to the gym. I immediately change my direction and respond. Hours later I am bench pressing, building strength in my shoulders, arms and key muscle groups. I know I need muscle strength to help keep my body healthy. Muscles keep your joints working well, support your back and slow the aging process, including arthritis.

That is my model. I obviously assigned value to working out and keeping fit. Why shouldn’t I do this in my internet business?

The daily act of taking action is moving me faster and faster towards success.

Is it time that you hard-wire action into your life?

You will not regret making the change.