The Benefits of Taking Action

Taking action is not always easy.  This may seem like a paradox, especially since we know most human beings are impulsive by nature and like to experience life rather than contemplate it.  Why is it then that many people hesitate to make minor and major changes in their life, even if those changes are positive-perhaps even their lifelong dreams?  There could be any number of reasons why a person delays taking action.  The person could be holding on to self-limiting beliefs that suggest that he or she cannot do anything different because he or she is destined to a life of failure.  Others may only dream of accomplishing their goals, but lack the ambition to actually see these glimpses of success become a tangible reality.  Some haven't made the conscious choice to do whatever it takes to be even more successful in life.

What about the person who holds back from taking action because he or she doesn't want to risk losing the status quo?  This may be a legitimate reason for holding back, especially if the new action involves changing relationships or risking great resources.  Fear should not be the motivating factor in determining a person's level of happiness or quality of life.  In the end, there are two types of people: those who are content to dream and those who go out and create their own destiny.

Defining Success

It's important to start seeing success on your own terms, rather than obsessively comparing your success to the lives of others.  Determine first what you want out of life and why it is so important to you.  This is the first step.

The second step is to set goals for yourself.  These are not just dreams but fully realized goals that are short-term and long-term life goals, feasible, yet still pointed in the direction of your ultimate quest.  These are not goals to be scribbled on a notepad and then filed away for twenty years.  These are goals that you will analyze, continually review, measure, and complete.  These are the baby steps that will induce you to take action.  Now consider a comparative process between keeping the status quo and taking action. 

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Taking Action

First, consider the cons of taking action.  Yes, it can be scary, since your dreams are untested and take place in unfamiliar territory.  True, sometimes there is no precedent set for what you are planning to do.  Are there really any cons?  What's the worst that can happen?

Now consider the benefits of taking action.  Taking action separates the dreamers from the doers, and in the end, the successful leaders of society from the followers.  Taking action fills you with confidence, as you start to see your goals accomplished one by one and your full vision coming to completion.  There are also other benefits to taking action that may contribute to society as a whole, depending on your mission.  By taking action and making your dream a reality, you may inspire others to follow their own ambitions.  You could bring about positive changes in society, influencing masses of people towards justice, peace and happiness. 

It's true that if you delay taking action, then there is not much to lose.  However, just remember that at the end of your life, you never regret your experiences, good or bad.  Rather, you regret all of the things that you never got to do, because of fear or because you didn't have time.  It's always of benefit to take action rather than procrastinate or deaden your desire for life.  When you love what you do, you are alive.  And life is always worth living.  Enjoy it!