Applying Action To Your Inner Desires!

"I know what I need to do, but I'm scared that I won't succeed." Who among us hasn't been stuck in this scenario before? We know what to do, but we don't put knowledge into action. The end result is the frustration of staying stuck in the current reality even though change is desired.

The outcome is usually determined by who wins the battle that rages within. It seems one part wants to get started and achieve the goal, while another part desires to stop, give up, or take it easy. An inner tug of war ensues between the two parts. Which side will win? Achieving success depends on not allowing these two parts to maintain a perpetual battle and keep you at a stalemate. Success can be realized by becoming conscious of these two opposing sides, and brining yourself into the playing field. You always have the choice of which side to nurture, cultivate, and strengthen.

A Native American elder once described his own inner struggles in this manner: "Inside of me there are two dogs. One of the dogs is mean and evil. The other dog is good. The mean dog fights the good dog all the time." When asked which dog wins he reflected for a moment and replied, "The one I feed the most."

To become successful and move beyond maintaining status quo, check out the list below for some ideas on how to take action. Find the inner motivation that will enable you to conquer complacency and move forward. Even though change is difficult, it is absolutely possible.

1. FEAR - FALSE EMOTION APPEARING REAL.

It is normal that a part of you has fear that insists, perhaps rather loudly, not to get started. Avoiding being scared when creating change is unlikely. One lesson worth learning: Be scared . . . and do it anyway. It may be impossible to take a step without experiencing fear. What I'm trying to say is don't wait for the fear to leave before you take the action.

Listen to what fear has to say, find a way to soothe the part of you that has fear, and know that you are not your fear. Fear is something you created, perhaps unconsciously, to keep you safe. Since you've created it, and it is a part of you, it will say whatever is most effective to scare you off. Fear acts as an imaginary wall to keep you from moving forward. Since it's your wall, you can always find a way over, around, or through it. Take a deep breath, take some action, and the action itself will eventually dissipate the wall of fear. Action does not need to take place in the absence of fear.

2. THOUGHTS DETERMINE SUCCESS.

Earl Nightingale has a saying: "We become what we think about." So what do you think about? Are your thoughts more centered on fear of failure, or the joy of taking action? Thoughts have a powerful impact on our attitude, and our ability to get started.

Dr. James Prochaska in his book, "Changing For Good" lists the "idea" of change as one of the necessary precursor steps to taking action. In other words, ideas are the starting point. We have to have the idea about what we're going to do before we can actually do it. Ideas give us direction and insight. Next time the idea taking action pops into your head, don't be so quick to dismiss or belittle it. So often an idea comes to mind, perhaps about taking a walk or eating differently, but because we haven't acted upon it yet, we put ourselves down.

Be joyous the idea has sprung forth and find ways to cultivate it. Pronounce joy in the idea itself, instead of berating yourself for having the idea but not yet taking action. Cultivate the thought, celebrate the idea, and allow your life force to flow naturally.

3. START SMALL.

Sometimes we find ourselves hesitant to begin because we are overwhelmed by the enormity of what lies before us. The goal looks HUGE . . . so daunting and complex that we freeze up.

Yet it doesn't have to be like that. It helps to break down the goal into manageable pieces. You probably already do this in other successful areas of your Business or personal life. You take something big, and chunk it down into bite sized pieces. Then you make a list of action steps, prioritize, and separate the "nice-to-have's" from the "need to