Action Over Apprehension
by Tom Leu
Think about this: Knowing how to run assumes
you're already walking. In
terms
of success in life, many people think they're running when in fact they're
barely walking; some aren't even standing yet. So how do we turn our
passion into purpose; desire into decision; our excitement into execution?
Action Over Apprehension! More than just a tag line, this is about the
art of eating an elephant, one bite at a time. Action is fear's
kryptonite. It kills it, fast. But there is a continuum that
exists between preparation, perfection, and procrastination:
Preparation = pre-polishing = the required
foundation
Perfection = polishing = the necessary
distinction
Procrastination = re-polishing = the
debilitating destruction
It's important to objectively observe where you are at
with any given project, assignment, or task at hand. Don't kid yourself.
Where are you really? Are you researching and creating in the preparation
stage; building the foundation? Are you refining for excellence in the
perfection stage; separating out from the competition? Or are you
rehashing the preparation and controlling the perfection stages thus
procrastinating your progress? Your truthful assessment here will
determine your outcome.
“If everything seems
under control you’re not going fast enough.”
– Mario Andretti
Sometimes things happen gradually, but they
do happen provided you do something first. I didn’t exactly
set out to write my first book. I started by writing a 500-word weekly column
for a local newspaper. That was doable, but
not an entire book…are you kidding me? The same thing happened when
one 60 second radio spot per week eventually turned into an entire audio CD
program that I engineered, produced, and published. This wasn't
exactly on the radar at first either. I often think of the cold water
in the swimming pool analogy... do you jump in, wade in, or opt out
altogether? We have to make the decision to turn negative debilitating
energy into positive dynamic energy. We have to be "soldiers under
command"…going into the fray yet afraid.
Everyone gets scared or apprehensive at
times, it's normal. But when you’re scared, uncertain, or not
confident...those are the times that action is an absolute must. Get
up and DO something...anything. "failing forward" is better than
"stagnating still." Turn and run straight into the unknown by facing
your fears. By simply taking small action steps each day, you are
systematically disassembling and deactivating the fear that is attempting to
paralyze you in the first place. This action builds on itself
geometrically - eventually fueling us on to greater achievements and
accomplishments than we ever thought possible. If you have the courage
to begin, you have the courage to succeed.
“Some people take no
mental exercise apart from jumping to conclusions.”
–
Harold Acton
Finally, we have to learn how to separate
our intentions from our actions. We judge ourselves by
our intentions while everyone else judges and measures us by our actions.
Nobody really cares what you’re going to do tomorrow; they want to know what
you are doing today. Legendary Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt used to
say, "don't tell me what you're gonna do; tell me what you did."
At the end of the day, that's all there is... Action Over Apprehension.
Copyright © Leu
Success Resources, Inc. All Rights Reserved
