The Twelve Tips for Change: Tip #1 – Targeted Action
At the end of the day, after all the analyzing, doubting, planning, wondering, all the thinking and feeling, the only thing that really matters is what you do!
It is your actions that have determined what you are today, where you are going, and who you will become.
If it is that simple why is it so hard?
One significant reason is fear. Fear infiltrates your mind and diabolically generates thoughts to frighten, mislead and confound.
Your solution? You avoid taking action or you take safe actions with minimal yield that keep you in the trance of “I’m doing things”.
A true solution? Action. Not just any action. Targeted Action.
What is Targeted Action? It is action that demonstrates your willingness to change. It will be something you do that is different and it often inches you outside your comfort zone. It is behavior that moves you in the direction of a goal, vision or purpose. It will be new. It will be bold as it flies in the face of fear.
There is an important distinction however. Targeted Action is not THE perfect action. Perfection is the problem. It is fear hijacking the process. Keep it simple, run your action plan by a trusted other for verification and support, then act and learn.
When you truly understand that even awkward, uncertain actions, no matter how small, are better than thinking those same thoughts, being scared by those same feelings or doing that same busy work, than you are on the way. Change has become a reality.
Dec 5, 2011
Jim, so true, good advice, thank you for this.
kevin