By Joeel A. Rivera
Many times, when we are reaching for a goal or trying something new, we are tempted to take a small step—to get our feet wet. It’s a form of indecision. It’s almost as if we are preparing for it not to work out and so we don’t really go for it. This way we have an excuse to not truly commit. And if we don’t try too hard, we have an excuse if we fail.
Taking small steps does not work because they do not truly show us what is possible. They do not create enough momentum, and even if we fail, they do not teach us enough to be able to do it differently the next time. In other words, if you are truly committed to your goals the best thing you can do is to take massive action to get the ball rolling. Taking massive action demonstrates to yourself that you have made the decision to be successful and are truly committed to achieving your dreams and desires.
Two of the biggest lessons we have learned from our journey and from studying truly successful people are:
Never leave the scene of a decision without taking action. Make decisions quickly and then immediately take massive action in that direction. Don’t worry whether it’s the “perfect” decision or whether it’s the “right” direction. Taking any action in any direction gets things moving.
Indecision is a form of self-abuse. Your GPS: If you got in your car and turned on the GPS, it may not initially lead you to the right direction if it does not recognize which way you are facing or if it has not updated your location. However, as soon as your car starts moving it will get oriented and then tell you to go in the direction you need to go, even if it means turning around. The same thing happens when you take action in life. Getting started is the hardest part, but once you make a move—any move—it becomes easier to assess if you’re going the right way and what steps to take to correct your path. Whatever you do don’t get stuck in indecision.
Ask yourself, “what can I do NOW?”
The perfect time to start is now! What can you do that makes you feel “invested”? This can mean investing in yourself and your goal financially, physically or mentally. Once you take a massive action, you feel more committed. For example, you can: invest into a program, buy equipment you may need, buy a book, start writing ideas, make a phone call, share your idea, do research and write what you find, or join a program. Think about it: if someone wants to lose weight or get fit they can think about it all they want or they can take immediate action getting up right away and going for a walk, or signing up for a gym, finding a workout partner, writing a schedule on their calendar, or doing all of these things. It’s vitally important to take the first step now. The bigger the initial action step, the better the results you will get long term.
Joeel A Rivera, M.Ed., is a visionary, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker. From an early age, Joeel faced adversity, including immigrating to the United States, failing his freshman year of college, losing his brother, and being in a nearly fatal car accident. These experiences inspired him to return to college, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Education and is currently completing his dissertation for his Ph.D. in Psychology, with an emphasis on happiness. Joeel opened a non-profit teen center in honor of his brother and developed curriculums for the Juvenile Justice System. In almost a decade, Joeel has reached over ten thousand people as an educator, entrepreneur, speaker, and consultant. Visit www.ignitelife.me.
