Once you have made your choice and planned the steps you need to take to bring about the change and the future you desire, you need to put it into action. You can have the best laid out plans in the world, but until you act on them, you will not see any change or results.
Taking the example of exercise and planning to do one jumping jack a day, it will involve setting your alarm, maybe having your exercise clothes ready by your bed, getting up when the alarm goes off, and then doing that one jumping jack. Even though it may be a small action, it is important to do it consistently to help form the habit. Once your actions become habit, it becomes much easier to carry out and fulfill your plans.
Your Attitude Is Key
Successfully taking action also involves the attitude you apply to the action. If you make the effort to plan the action you need to take- of getting up early and beginning that jumping jack- follow through and apply a positive attitude to that action. Think to yourself that every little action including this one jumping jack is bringing you one step closer to your goal. If you start your jumping jack, and half way through stop and say, “I can’t do it”, not only do you miss out on getting one step closer to your goal, you begin to build further obstacles in your heart and mind that you will have to battle through in order to reach your ultimate goal.
This is why it is essential to keep your plans basic and simple. When you make your plans easy, with slow incremental but continuous actions, it is easy to put the plan into motion and be successful with it. Each little success builds momentum, which gives an added power to the next action you take. It can become like a snowball that gathers speed and power after starting out slow and hurtles you towards your goal.
Review The Process
Then, along with putting your plan into action, keep your goal in mind by continually reviewing the process. One of the biggest hindrances to people reaching their goals is distractions. People decide they want to move from point A to point B in their lives. They are focused on their journey, focused on their goal, and then something will distract them and pull them off course. Distractions can be anything from relationships, to different signs, to different forms of entertainment including T.V., yet they all have the same thing in common: they distract your focus from your daily plan and the larger ultimate goal. Therefore, to ensure success, you need to keep your plan constantly in mind and review it regularly.
Keep It In Front Of You
One of the best ways to do this is to write out your goal or mission and put it somewhere where you will see it every day. Some people make vision boards where they choose pictures to motivate and inspire them to their goal. Other people simply choose to write their goals down.
Either way, place your goal in an area where you can constantly review them such as on the bathroom mirror where you will see it morning and night. Then during the day, when the distractions come up to thwart you from carrying out the actions you had planned to take, it will be easy to stay focused and to remind yourself of your goals.
This will also allow you to alter your planned course as you go because as you carry out your actions, you may want to adjust your plan, add in new actions, or even eliminate ones that are not working for you. Periodically review how you are doing and this will work to keep you focused on the end goal.
Be A Missile
In fact, this is how missiles hit their target. They readjust their path constantly until they zero in closer and closer and find more of a straight path just before hitting their target. You can adopt the same strategy by reviewing your progress, your goals, and your plans, and making adjustments as needed. You will gain speed and momentum and find that target!
