Don't Throw Away Your Shot

Have you ever had a great idea pop in your head? But after you thought about it for a while you talked yourself out of it? Perhaps you dismissed it as too hard, or too crazy, or maybe something for when you have more time or money?

I want to talk today about taking action.

But first, I am reminded about the musical Hamilton.  If you have not seen it, it is a modern hip-hop version of the bibliography of Alexander Hamilton by Lin-manuel Miranda.

In the play, Alexander Hamilton is a man of action.  When he sees the opportunity to write his way out of poverty, he jumps at the opportunity.  When he sees the oppression of the British, he speaks out.  When the British troops are attacking, he steals their cannons.  He does not throw away his shot.

However, the character Aaron Burr is the opposite.  He sings about waiting for the right opportunity, but the perfect timing never comes. He does not want to rebel against the British in the beginning.  He prefers to wait and see which side will most likely win.

He does not want to write about supporting the new Constitution because he wants to wait and see if it can stand. He always chooses to wait for it.  He then wonders why he is never in the room where it happens.

Do you need to get better at taking action?

When an opportunity is in front of you, are you able to act?  When an idea materializes in your mind, you should pay attention.  You should at least write it down and consider it.  It could be a million dollar idea!

"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." ~ Abraham Lincoln

Many people are not successful today even though they have a great education and they live in this amazing country. Why is that? Often it is because they fail to take action.  

When the right moment is in front of them, they freeze.  When they have a great business idea, they talk themselves out of it. When they could have shared on the conference call, they stayed quiet.

Even the wrong action can be better than no action.  At least with the wrong action, you can learn from your mistake and try again. 

"You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here are 6 Thoughts about Action:

1. You must take action to achieve success.

The most complex plans in the world are no good if you don't act on them.  You could read every self improvement book in the world, but if you don't take steps to implement it, then it is all for nothing.  Successful people plan well and then put the plan to action.

2. Action will be challenging. 

It will be hard. It could be painful to take a step towards the unknown.  Do it anyway. Success is often on the other side of uncomfortable. Your best growth could be in the thing that you are avoiding.

3. Results take time.

Time, however, is on your side.  With consistent action you are very likely to move substantially toward your goals.  I have heard it said that if you practice a skill, any skill, every day for 15 minutes for a year, you will be in the top 90% of everyone in the world with that skill.  Time compounds your results.

4. It is essential to be intentional.  

Every action must align with your big goals. For example, if your goal is to get promoted, then you need to think about every metric you are measured on.  Every action should improve the metrics.  Eliminate distractions.  Be intentional about how you plan your week and make your actions align with your overall goals.

5. A plan will never be perfect.  

Develop a good plan, but don't get stuck in analysis paralysis. It is better to take quick action and test an idea.  If it fails at least you quickly find the result.  At least you didn't spend years of time and thousands of dollars in research to find the same result.

6. Never give up.  

The only way to guarantee failure is to quit.  Focus on your big idea and keep finding actions that support the big idea.  Your success day will come.

I want to encourage you today. Your goals are within your reach. You can put together a plan to get there. But, be sure to take action. Don't throw away your shot!