Are you one of those people able to plan out the direction you want in your life, amazingly? Besides that, you’re a fast learner compared to the average person.
But still unable to advance, due to the lack of action.
Everything is so clear in your head, but you can’t execute them consistently, you procrastinate.
If everything mentioned above sounds familiar to you and you can relate. I think your fundamental problem here is that you are not a doer but a thinker. Now, being a thinker is not a bad thing as it shows that you are intelligent.
However, no matter how good your ideas are, without action, it means nothing, and action is the key to changing your life. Without change, your life remains the same.
In this article, I’ve provided 6 things that you can start doing right now when changing your life.
1. You’ll Never Get 100% Of Information You’d Like
A lot of times we confuse research or seeking more information with taking action. Researching can disguise itself as taking action; but I’m here to tell you it’s procrastination.
Often we try to learn everything on an idea/subject, which is impossible to do. We live in an environment where change happens quickly. The information you get today may not be usable in the next few months.
So, you’ll remain in a constant loop of seeking additional information. While it’s important to research, don’t waste your time.
For example, let’s say you want to learn how to edit videos and make a career as a video editor. So, you spend your time learning all there is to know about video editing.
However, you’ll find that as new technology emerges, your skills may become obsolete, put your newfound skills into action immediately and adapt as the environment changes.
2. Set A Deadline
There is a reason schools and workplaces have deadlines. It’s so that things get done and to keep students and employees accountable for their actions.
An example of this is a college student. No matter how lazy a student is, somehow he/she will meet their assignment’s deadline.
Whether they procrastinate, it doesn’t matter, as the deadline hits they must complete their assignment.
3. Visualize Success
Visualizing success is also very important when you are looking to make a change. Although some people believe that change is open-ended, I believe that If you don’t understand what you want, you cannot change your life.
Visualizing is single-handedly one of the most important ways to get an idea of what you want to achieve. How is this done? By picturing the change you want, a vision board can be helpful with this process.
Another important tip is to visualize your failures, it adds a sense of reality to your vision.
For example, your lifelong dream is to play for the NFL as a wide receiver. This would mean understanding the playbook, teamwork, good health, daily training, dieting, injuries, public scrutiny, etc. Visualize how you can get there and what your life would look like. Do you still want it?
Grab a pen and paper and visualize your life.
4. Thinking Is More Exhausting Than Doing
Even though many believe doing is much harder than thinking, I believe they are both challenging; with doing being more rewarding. I’ve noticed that after completing something I’ve avoided doing, it seems both rewarding and much easier than I’d expected.
You’ll find that when you move forward with action; you’ll be right more often than not.
Formalizing your thoughts is important, as it helps you to take action. Take a step forward and test your thinking by ”doing”.
5. Take Small Steps
Although taking small steps may sound counterproductive, as you want to make progress as fast as possible. It’s important to see the change you’re making. Trying to change everything will only lead to unfulfillment and feeling burnt out.
The beginning stages of change are uncomfortable. So, enjoy the process by taking things one step at a time, make small daily changes and it will slowly add up.
For example, let’s say you want to start a cooking business, mastering both the business aspect and learning and/or working on your craft at the same time is exhausting. Instead, prioritize the one that is important and as you master it, move the next one.
6. Say ”NO” To Instant Gratification
Instant gratification is perhaps the most important point on this list. If you’re unable to reject instant gratification; the points mentioned above will not work.
Instant gratification is a trap most fall into. You feel good in the short-term with regret in the long-term. People choose instant gratification because they want to feel good without having to put in the work.
However, instant gratification only leads to you wasting your time, which causes you to stagnate. Instead, you want to put in the work now (take action), so you can benefit later.
For example, if you want to build a fit body, understand that it will take a lot of time and effort to do so. This means going to the gym 3 to 5 times per week with drastic changes to your diet. However, in the long run, you will have built the body that you’ve always wanted; but through the process you will have learned the ins and outs of dieting and exercising. You might start your own health and fitness program to help others.
As opposed to taking steroids which will give you the body that you want faster but may cause a lot of complications over the long run.
Conclusion
So the key takeaway here is to understand the difference between planning and taking action.
At a certain point planning will no longer be beneficial, as it turns into procrastination and stagnation.
Action is progress.
Just to refresh your mind here is a quick summary of the points mentioned above:
- Decrease your research, as it is impossible to know everything; just start doing.
- Be accountable and set deadlines.
- Strengthen taking action by visualization.
- The more you think, the less action you will take.
- Do not overload yourself, take it one step at a time.
- Avoid instant gratification and think long term.
Review these points, apply and start taking action.
