3 Ways to Fail. 1 Way to Succeed.

Exactly how much action is necessary to create success? Everyone is looking for that secret shortcut, but there are no shortcuts. The simple fact is, the more action you take, the better your chances are of creating success.

Disciplined, consistent, and persistent actions are more of a determining factor in the creation of success than any other combination of things. Understanding how to measure and then take the right amount of action is more important than your concept, idea, invention, or business plan.

People fail only because they are operating at the wrong degree of action. To simplify action, we are going to break down your choices into four simple categories or degrees of action.

Your four choices are:
1. Do nothing. 

2. Retreat. 

3. Take normal levels of action. 

4. Take massive action.

We each utilize all four degrees of action at some time in our lives and especially in response to different areas of life. For instance, you might use massive action in your career but then completely retreat when it comes to your civic duties and responsibilities. Another person might do nothing when it comes to learning about social media, even retreat from it. Another might only take normal levels of action when it comes to eating healthy and exercising but then take massive action when it comes to destructive habits. A person is obviously going to excel and do the most in those areas in which he or she invests the most attention and takes the most action—for better or worse.

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The first two degrees of action—do nothing and retreat—are the basis for failure, and the third degree—normal levels—will only create a normal existence at best.

“Doing nothing” is exactly what it sounds like: no longer taking actions to move yourself forward in order to learn, achieve, or control some area. “Retreaters” are those who take actions in reverse—probably in order to avoid negative experiences that they imagine will come as a result of taking action. Any realm in which you have assumed you can no longer advance and improve—and are now deciding that there is “nothing you can do”—would be considered an area of retreat.

Average, by definition, assumes “less than extraordinary.” It is truly just an alternate description of retreat and no action. This level of action is common and approved of by the masses, so people who take normal actions don’t draw the necessary attention required to catapult them to success.

Ever since the age of 25, the one thing I did right—whether it was in my first sales job or the first company I built—was to approach whatever task was before me with massive amounts of action. It was never retreat, no action, or even average amounts; it was constant, persistent, and immense attack on the target.

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When you are taking massive action, you aren’t thinking in terms of how many hours you work. This level of massive action may sound—and is indeed—exhausting at times. A real estate agent once traveled with me to observe firsthand how I was growing my business. After three days of shadowing me, he admitted, “There is no way I can do this for another day. I am only riding with you, and I’m exhausted.” I approached every day like my life depended on the actions I took.

Making massive action a discipline will break you through obscurity, increase your value to the marketplace, and help you generate success in any area you elect. That’s my secret to creating success.

I know many more secrets of professional selling, motivation, and entrepreneurship. Even if selling isn’t your career, you should be a professional seller in order to get more out of life. Very soon I will unveil the Greatest Sales Secret of All Time.

Your friend in business & sales,

Grant Cardone