Here is my latest article as seen on Yahoo Voices. Let me know what you think.
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Habit #1 - Keep It
Movin’ (also known as Be Proactive)
Do you have what it takes to be successful? Will you do what
is necessary to become successful? What is your definition of success? Some
people consider success waking up in the morning. Others consider success
getting a promotion on the job. Success can mean a lot of things to different
people.
According to Dictionary.com, success is defined as:
- the favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors; the accomplishment of one’s goals.
- the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
- a performance or achievement that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honors.
- a person or thing that has had success, as measured by attainment of goals, wealth, etc.
It can also be defined in simpler terms as “the worthy
progression of one’s goals and ideas”. That means a long as your moving in the
direction of your goals, you are successful. The key words from the previous
sentences are “progression” and “moving”. They imply action. Nothing can happen
unless first action is taken.
You can think about your dream and talk about your dream all
day long but until you actually create a plan and put it into action, you are
not successful. Do you have to jump from idea to implementation in one big
step? Absolutely not! But it doesn’t hurt to take baby steps. Just consistently
take the steps that can get you to where you want to go.
There is another saying called, “Eat the elephant one bite
at a time.” This means you should break your plan into steps. It helps to write
your plan out on paper so you can make it concrete in your mind. Our minds
actually can work better if our eyes can physically see the steps laid out on
paper.
From there, take one step at a time. Some steps may take
longer than others but stay focus and you will get them completed. It sounds
easy right? Well, just because it’s simple, that doesn’t mean that it’s easy.
There will be times you will doubt your plan or your
abilities. Sometimes other people can cloud your judgment and slow down your
progress.
Persist!
Most of the times there will be some obstacles to overcome
including the negativity of family and friends or even your own fears but if
you are determined you will get over them all.
Nothing replaces action.
One of my mentors says “a little bit of action is better and
a boatload of meditation.” I agree. Sometimes we can have a tendency to “over
think” a situation and we find ourselves in what is call “the paralysis of
analysis”. That means we are wasting
more time thinking and being cautious when we really should be taking action.
Am I saying don’t plan? No but what I am saying is once you
have a plan, act on it. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect. There will
never be a perfect time. What you need to do is remember to always be moving in
the direction of your goals. The details will take care of themselves.
Let’s Make It Happen!!!
Mello Melanin