Sailing

Have you wondered what separates you from those who are successful in life? We all have different talents and experiences that contribute to the portrait of who we are. Beyond talent, however, the primary key that separates the successful from those who have not yet achieved their dreams is the willingness to take action. If you dream about being a world famous author but never touch a keyboard or put pen to paper, it will never happen. That long distance vision of being a published author is only a starting point; you must then backtrack and create the steps that will get you there.

This is true regardless what your dream may be. You must develop an image in your mind of your dream goal and then look at the steps you can build to get there. Successful people understand the power of action. They examine what they need to do, plan a series of logical steps to get there, take action and stay in action until they reach their dream.

What does this mean to you? First, you must be willing to act. Once you are willing, bring this willingness into movement by doing something. Develop an outline starting with where you are now and what your dream goal is. Plug in all the steps it would take to get there that you can imagine, in the order you think they need to be.

For the person who wants to be a published writer, a step outline might look something like this:

I. Form an idea for a book.

Develop characters and plot idea.

Do research, contact resources.

Set aside time to write each day.

Write at least one page a day.

II. Finish rough draft of first chapter.

Continue writing.

III. Finish first draft.

Revise, edit and rewrite.

IV. Polish and finish final draft.

Find agent or editor who is interested in publishing.

V. See book published.

Having concrete steps you can see and take action on will create a wave of energy within you, empowering you forward to success. Like a small movement of the earth deep beneath the sea that ripples the water gently at first until it results in a giant wave cascading on the beach, a small action on your part can show similar movement within a relatively short time. Remember, momentum generates energy. Energy cultivates action. And action, over time, will always produce results.

So why aren't more people successful? Fear. Like a deer mesmerized by oncoming headlights, it stands still, afraid that any movement will be wrong when, in reality, motion is the only thing that can save it. Similarly, most people stay in a place they don't particularly like doing work that does not challenge or inspire them simply because they don't know what they want and are afraid to take action and make movement in their life. They are scared of change and what might happen if they take the wrong action. Realize that you are standing in the headlights of life and the only wrong action is to take no action at all. In the end, any action you take will generate energy and take you from a place of stillness into movement. Action will give you information, insight and wisdom to build your future upon.

So set that goal, create a series of steps that get gradually more and more specific until finally you have a single step you can do now, today, right at this moment. Now, make a leap of faith and begin. Once you do, you will allow the universe to support you in ways you never knew existed because you are making a statement to the world that you are ready (unconsciously) and it will respond favorably by offering you opportunities and gifts for you to respond to. You will begin to generate a wave of energy that won't be stopped.

Taking action on a daily basis will create new habits and build energy to face the barriers that occur in any journey. You'll develop new resources and recognize new ways around those barriers to achieve your heart's desire. Realize that your resistance is a normal subconscious effort to keep you safe.

Does this mean you must quit your current job and take a leap of faith into the unknown void without a security net? No. You can take action toward your dream while still working your current job. But you must use any free time available to build the life you want. This is how countless others achieved their dreams. Harrison Ford, a successful actor with many film credits to his name, worked as a carpenter for years while trying out for film roles. Carpentry paid the bills until his dreams as an actor came to fruition. Tom Clancy, a best-selling author of techno-thrillers such as The Hunt for Red October & Patriot Games toiled away as an insurance salesman who wrote his first novel during his free time. It was rejected by 22 publishers before a small publisher that previously handled only technical military materials took a chance and published their first work of fiction.

When you take action, recognize that every rejection simply puts you one step closer to success. A rejection means you have eliminated one more avenue that didn't recognize or need your services. This allows you to now be more closely focused on the remaining list of those who will want your skills. You will see results from your actions by staying committed to your goal. Commitment plus action eventually achieves results.

Begin a thirty-day small-action step today. Commit to it fully and see the benefits. The ultimate goal is to act on your passions to achieve your dreams. And your day-to-day goals will be easy to achieve once you recognize that fear has only as much power over you as you allow it. Les Brown said, "You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great."