I read a very interesting article on intention and action.
The author shared that good intention is the first step and the simplest to do. But having it alone will not be enough to get you to any achievements. Though it is an important first step, nonetheless.
Sadly, few people can move past this phase into what’s truly the critical component — real honest action.
Action is the “doing”. Imagine a beautiful boat just sitting in the harbor. It has got an incredibly powerful motor with more than enough horsepower to get it swiftly from point A to point B — but without the necessary fuel to actually power the boat, it is like a floating log.
No matter how pretty the boat may be (or well-intentioned its designer may have been) without the fuel (i.e. in our example, the action component) the boat isn’t going to do much of anything except sit there pretty and take up space.
The same is true of your goals and dreams. You are a magnificent person, blessed with untold talents and gifts, but unless you choose to put your blessings to work in your life you very likely are not going to benefit from them.
Consider that a diamond un-mined sitting underground is still very much a diamond, but until it is brought out of the ground, polished, and crafted into some form of desirable form it’s very much like our example above of the powerful boat which lacks the necessary fuel to “bring it to life.”
Understanding this, the key is to bridge the gap from your initial intention to do a thing and the time in which it takes you to actually get started and involved in the particular activity.
In short, your ability to develop actual action steps which will move you closer to your larger goal, and equally essential, your willingness to get started will be the differentiating factor as to whether or not you get to experience the sense of fulfillment for having achieved your given endeavor.
No matter what you want to accomplish there is always an action plan which can be mapped out to get you to where you want to go. That’s not to say it will be obvious, nor that at this point in your journey that you necessarily have the skill sets or experience to make them all work exactly right. But remember and take heart because you can learn, borrow, or acquire whatever skills or resources you might need.
The point to keep in mind is that life has an incredible way of filling in the details for the person who shows the fortitude to set out in pursuit of their dreams. You will most certainly find this to be the case as you become a person of action as well.
As you begin each day take a moment to reconnect with what you want to achieve. Literally envision in your mind what it will feel like to accomplish what you are working towards. See yourself, to the best of your ability doing whatever it is that is required of you. Play out in your mind’s eye how it will feel to achieve what you are working so hard to accomplish.
After you have played your “mental movie” of the what, why, and how you wish to achieve, take a moment to bring things together by looking over and if necessary writing/rewriting out the concrete actions steps you need to be taking in order to get to the place you want to go.
Used in tandem the components mentioned above are very effective. Leave out either one and you may find that you’re spinning your wheels unnecessarily. Leave out the action component and you’re unlikely to see any real progress at all. Everyday make a point to lead with action, fully knowing that as you do so you are moving ever closer towards your intended destination.
It is the same as studying, set an intention, list out your goals, acquire effective study techniques, put in the time and effort to your school work and at the end of the rainbow, you will find your pot of gold.
In summary, commit to being a person who takes action on what you deem to be truly worthwhile and you will find that, more often than not, you will meet with success along your life’s journey.
Best wishes,
Master Good Grades
I Want Good Grades! 