Are you ready to take control of your life by taking action?

Having a stroke at the age of 56 was the last thing I ever thought would happen to me. I knew things were going to be different and hard over the course of the next few months, but worse if I sit around and feel sorry for myself, singing “woe is me” to those around … no, that is certainly NOT me! I knew that if I wanted to beat this and have any chance and getting better, I needed to take control of my life by taking action.

Actions speak louder than words. Talking and planning aren’t enough to make progress with most tasks. Some of us specialize in daydreaming and planning. We might have the best ideas, but ideas without action are a waste of time and mental energy. 

For example: Last year I sold my house. I plan to buy another one. I know I want to downsize. I have several locations picked out where I would like to live.  Every day I look online for houses.  I mark the ones I like as saved, and remove the ones that sell from the list. I will forever be in this endless circle if I don’t take action and physically start visiting the houses in person. 

It’s important to spend the majority of your time actually doing something. Action is the key. Those with control over their lives and their time are able to take action on a consistent basis.

How do you become more action oriented and gain control over your time?

1. Realize that nothing changes until your behavior changes. Visualization and positive self-talk have their place, but they’re only effective if your behavior changes. You can wish all day for that new car, but it won’t happen unless you’re actually doing something different. Understand that a consistent change in your behavior is the key to real change.
2. My speach therapist reminded me to set a goal for what I want to accomplish during my doctor visits. Know the outcome you desire. It’s not easy to take action if you don’t know what you’re attempting to accomplish. Be clear on your intention. Take the time to determine what you want to accomplish.
   • What actions can you take today to move in that direction?
3. Start by taking small steps. Physical therapy is tough work and they give me exercises to do at home. I won’t get better by exercising for only one minute, but I will develop a habit of moving my body each day. It will become easier each week and I can do more now than when I first began.
   • There’s nothing wrong with easy, provided you’re patient and can see the big picture. Start slow.
   • No matter what it is you are trying to do, after a few weeks, you’ll have developed a habit and it will get easier each time.
4. Limit your planning time. Those that are slow to take action love to plan, but the best plans are worthless until they’re executed. While you’re trying to work out the fine details, everyone else is already taking care of business.
   • There’s no reason to be hasty, but set a limit on how long you’re going to strategize before you actually do something.
5. Use rewards wisely. Small, meaningful rewards can help you to get off the couch and get busy. Decide on a few rewards and when you’ll receive them. Get excited and begin taking action. When you’ve earned a reward, enjoy it.
   • Make a rewards jar and pick from it!
6. Get started early in the day. If you can accomplish something worthwhile before 9AM, you’ll be motivated to do even more during the rest of the day.
   • If you fail to do anything substantial by noon, you’ll feel bad about how you wasted the morning. Then you won’t feel like doing anything in the afternoon. Then you’ll let yourself off the hook by telling yourself that you’ll get twice as much done tomorrow. Many people make this process a habit. Avoid becoming one of these people.

Take a close look at the most successful people you know. Notice that there’s nothing exceptional about them. They aren’t smarter or more capable than you. But they do manage to get things accomplished each day by taking action consistently. The good news is that you don’t have to be spectacular either.

You only need to learn how to avoid wasting your precious time. Consistent action is the key to wealth, weight loss, strong relationships, and anything else that matters in your life.