How to Take Action (or Overcome Procrastination)

For some people, taking action toward a goal or accomplishing a certain task appears almost impossibly difficult. Perhaps they don't feel like it today. Nor do they feel like it tomorrow. Yet, they tell you, they do want to do it. The reason that they do not do it may be, as Anthony Robbins asserts, due to a lack of "pleasure" that they experience. Or, as I mentioned in the Health section, they may decide not to do it due to lacking a sense of relaxation and happiness from performing such a task.

Taking action has many positive attributes. For one thing, you may actually accomplish or contribute something by taking action. Let's say you venture to build that birdhouse. By actually going ahead and following the instructions in the manual, you might actually succeed and get it built. If you want to try out a new recipe where you mix together a bunch of rare ingredients, it might actually be the start of a new dish. So, taking action can produce many positive results.

Many people fear taking action either because they fear that they will fail or they are too lazy to take any action. Fearing failure is a real concern because failure may mean wasted time, energy, and money. People may have a real stake when they make the decision to commit. As for being lazy, that is definitely another reason why people do not take action. Taking action makes them sweat, makes them work hard, and this makes them feel less comfortable. So, avoiding to take any action prevents any of these negative consequences, they feel.

Another reason that people may not want to take any action may be because they do not know where to start - they don't know what initial steps to take. In fact, they may not know at all what would be the sequence of steps to take. For example, for someone who wants to open their own business, they may say that they would like to do it, but they really do not have a clue as to what to do or where to start. In cases like these, the simplest answer is to gain knowledge from others who have done it, such as by reading books, watching videos, or asking friends.

Simply take action. To get out of these potential reasons for not taking action, one must actually take the action - any kind of initial action, whether it be just reading a book, or buying the glue to build the birdhouse. Action will prompt further action because it gets you excited. You feel that you have accomplished something worthwhile. You feel that you have made something happen.

First, do the essentials. In choosing which area of the project to complete first, it is probably most wise to first do the minimum essentials. This will prevent you from feeling a sense of rush. Instead, you will feel much calmer, saying to yourself, "Yes, I have finished the majority of my work that really counts. At least I have finished the main parts and even if I do not finish the rest, that is OK."

Bring it to completion. Once you take the initial action, you will likely require quite a bit of hard work and effort to bring it to completion, or to bring it to the level of excellence that you desire. Therefore, it would be wise to use a burst of energy to try to bring your project as close to completion, if not to total completion, as early as possible. This is not to say that you should not go to sleep, but that you should concentrate on this particular endeavor at this time because you will be able to put in your best effort if you can set aside a reasonably large chunk of time for it.

Do not get side-tracked during this time. So many people are tempted by external lures, such as prompts saying you have to go to the movies, or you have to watch this TV show. However, if you have decided that you really believe in your project, you should make a full-fledged effort to bring it to completion no matter under what circumstance. Don't come up with excuses. Come up with innovative ways to make more time in your life for this project, or with innovative ways to get it to work.

Get help when required. Once you get stuck in the middle of your path, you may need extra help. Don't be afraid to go to others to get that type of help. If you are willing to pay money, there may be many other sources of help available to you as well. If you do not want to pay, be innovative to think about what individuals, non-profit organizations, or government agencies may be able to lend you a hand in your quest.

Creating something unique, or something special in this world requires a lot of effort. In school, you simply go through the curriculum laid out for you. You follow the books, the teacher, the lesson plan. You don't really have a say in what you do. You just adhere to the policies and play out the game according to the rules.

Once school is over, you get to set your own rules and decide what is worth producing or learning. And you do feel uplifting and have a great sense of accomplishment once you produce a product or service or anything else that others enjoy. You have created something special for them that they will cherish, and it was through your own talents and creativity, as well as your hard work. So, taking action and producing something, discovering something, inventing something will make for a more productive society.

In summary, to accomplish something you should:

A. Gain knowledge.
B. Simply take action.
C. First, do the essentials.
D. Bring it to completion.
E. Get help when required.

Life Skills > Work Skills > How To Take Action