What do you do when you feel like taking action, but don’t know what you should do, how you should do it, or where you should start?
If you’re like most people, you might just give up in frustration, while cursing some unknown entity.
That’s a normal response to have when you’re frustrated, but it isn’t helpful if you want to create a life that fulfills you.
That’s why, in this article, we’ll take a look at how you can take action.
Even when you don’t know what to do.
The process is quite simple. But it requires some internal inspection.
Where do you want to go? What is your ultimate goal?
It’s easy to lose track of where you’re going when you’ve been working on something for a long time.
For example, as I’m building my online business, it’s still easy for me to lose track of the fact that what I truly enjoy doing is helping people dramatically increase the freedom in their lives.
And I do this by creating products, services, and writing articles online. It always helps when I remind myself where I’m going and what I want to accomplish.
2. Your Knowledge
The next question is: What do you know?
You may be surprised to find that most of the time you already know what you need to know in order to take action.
The only thing standing between you and results is your own mind. Most people are their own worst enemies. They analyze something until they start to doubt themselves.
Don’t let this be you.
Look at where you want to go. And what you already know. If you don’t need to know more, you can jump to step #4 below.
3. Your Gaps
The next step is to look at where you have gaps in knowledge. In other words, what do you need to learn in order to take action?
Many people become overwhelmed with all the information out there. But what they don’t realize is that this becomes much easier when you set a goal and focus on what you want to achieve.
For example, setting a goal of building an online business is very vague. It will cause you to feel overwhelmed when search for information.
On the other hand, if you start by looking at how you can get a WordPress blog up and running, you will have a much easier time finding actionable information.
So before you start looking for new information, make sure you know what you need and why you need it.
4. Your Obstacles
There will always be obstacles on your path. Expect them.
Every successful entrepreneur has faced many obstacles. And they’ve failed over and over again.
The problem isn’t failure. It’s how you perceive it. Most people think mistakes are bad, but the opposite is true.
Mistakes are stepping stones to success.
If you never made mistakes, and if you never failed, you would never learn and discover what truly works.
Identify the obstacles on your path to achieving your goal. And start brainstorming how you can overcome them even before they happen.
This will help you relax. You’ll realize that you are capable of solving problems. You are capable of overcoming the biggest of obstacles on your path.
5. Your Next Small Step
What helps me is thinking about the next smallest step I can take.
For example, if you wanted to find your passion in life, the first step is to brainstorm what you’re passionate about.
Constantly focus on what you can do next. The circumstances won’t be perfect in most of the steps you take. The important part is to take action.
You have to be willing to move forward despite the excuses your mind throws at you.
Without forward momentum, you will never learn. You will never end up where you want to be.
6. Your Fears
A very common myth is that if you just find your passion, you will become fearless and everything will fall into place.
And that’s wrong.
Once you find something you enjoy, you may become even more afraid, because now you’re playing high-stakes.
Now you’re doing something that actually matters to you.
However, fear shouldn’t be avoided. It shows you where you have room to grow. Push yourself out of your comfort zone regularly and you will go far.
The most successful people have the biggest comfort zones. They constantly push themselves and embrace uncertainty.
The more willing you are to face your fears, the faster your progress will be. And the easier it will be to take action, even when you don’t know what to do.
7. Your Determination
Last but definitely not least is your determination.
When you’re determined to succeed or create the life of your dreams, nothing can stand in your way.
But you have to commit to it.
There will be times when you’re feeling down. It’s normal to take a break now and then. And it’s normal to be confused, overwhelmed, and uncertain, especially when you’re learning something new.
Become comfortable with stepping out of your comfort zone, because that is where real growth happens.
You see, you don’t have to know what to do in order to take action.
You just have to have a general direction and take the next step.
It’s not always going to be comfortable, but it’s going to be worth it.
 |
Written on 9/30/2012 by Henri Junttila. Henri is a freelance writer and the founder of Wake Up Cloud, where he helps people turn their passion into a thriving lifestyle business. When you feel ready to take action, grab his free special report. | Photo Credit: Ed Callow |
