- Money
- Success
- Freedom
- Happiness
- Glory
Mmmm. YUM. Sounds good doesn’t it?
And yet very few people ever live to become the success story they dream about.
Why?
Because all successful people have one excruciatingly simple thing in common.
And it’s the only thing that’s stopping you from being insanely, abundantly, super successful.
Taking Action
Successful people take action.
That’s it.
“Take action? Yeah, right!” It sounds too simple, doesn’t it?
Yeah, it does. But don’t be fooled. It is that simple. So before you stop reading this and go back to your blurry life of mediocrity, listen up.
Most people live in a complete daze. Actually, they don’t LIVE. They just ‘get by’ because they never take the necessary action to make things happen – to seek their dreams. Does this sound like someone you know?
But successful people…
They’re ALIVE. They make things happen because they take action.
They have that look in their eyes – undiluted determination and infinite appetite for possibility.
They live in constructive flow, always looking for a way – always taking the next logical step.
Productive Positivity
When you constructively move forward with a positive outlook on life, all of the self-induced barriers dissolve and you get out of your own way. Nothing feels impossible and you see potential and possibility in everything because you’re not limiting your focus with destructive negativity.
Successful people constantly live in a state of productive positivity. They don’t settle and they aren’t scared to fail. They try, and fail, and try again until they succeed. Because they know it’s possible, even if they haven’t yet figured out how.
Everything they do is soaked in a deep personal desire to move things forward.
They live for the feeling of accomplishment. You know this feeling…
It’s the feeling of complete immersion in what you’re doing – when you tickle your own brilliance and the distinction between ‘you’ and the task at hand blurs until it’s complete. It’s those moments when you’re taking action and constructively flowing with life instead of aimlessly stumbling through it.
I know you’ve felt it. Maybe not often enough, but you have.
Ask Yourself
In every situation there is always a ‘most constructive’ path to choose.
Whether you’re running a business, having a conversation, walking down the street and see someone you’d like to meet, or even just entertaining yourself by browsing online – there’s always a constructive path.
Ask yourself, “What can I do right now that will make me more successful in my own eyes?”
The interesting thing is that as you ask yourself this question, little electrochemical fireworks explode in your mind and illuminate your entire being with the feeling of what success will be like. Your mind automatically cycles through all the possible situations that will result from the different choices for an action that you take.
So ask yourself the question and think about what will help you move forward with your goals. Immerse yourself in thought. What is it that you really want? And what choice can you make right now that will help you get one step closer?
Momentum Builds
After awhile your mind will become trained to subconsciously think about success, so when you have a little time and are deciding what to do, that image of success that came up will poke its head into your plans and make you think twice about zoning out in front of the T.V.
Sure, sometimes it’ll be a small action like reading a book, but momentum builds and as you begin to feel the possibilities for success, you’ll stop limiting what you deem ‘possible’ and you start taking on bigger projects and more promising endeavors.
And as you do it more and more, it becomes less of a question and more of an overall state of being where all you will want to do is move forward towards success. And it feels really good. It brings purpose into your life.
And it doesn’t have to be just material success – deciding to read for pleasure, meditate, exercise, or spend time with a loved one are all valid decisions toward success. The definition of success, after all, is up to you.
But more than anything, success hinges on the simple act of making a decision to live – to absorb yourself in the process of going after your goals.
So make that decision…
And take action.
Also, check out these best selling books on taking action:
- Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
- Focal Point: A Proven System to Simplify Your Life, Double Your Productivity, and Achieve All Your Goals
- Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Photo by: Thomas Hawk
alex - unleash reality says
Hey Marc. And Angel 🙂
Thanks so much for the opportunity.
Warm tingly magic bubbling inside, like like i just drank a can of fizzy stars, at the excitement about it.
Keep well mate. And thanks again.
Alex – unleash reality
Brain Stroom says
Marc, awesome piece .. thanks.
One decision will change something at least… that’s for sure.
Nys says
awesome! needed this today…
have a great week…
Lizzie says
My sister sent this post to me and I’m really glad she did! I think people often think that change is definite- you’re either ‘in the change’ or ‘not.’ We sometimes forget that there is a conduit connecting ‘change’ and ‘not.’ We forget to go for the ‘inches’ that will add up to metres, which will add up to miles. Great post.
Jonathan - Advanced Life Skills says
Hey Marc, it’s such a simple formula. So, what gets in peoples way? As you pointed out, we need to make a decision and follow through. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, everything in live hinges on the decisions we make or avoid. Nice piece man, thanks.
Angel says
I loved this post. What you say is so very true. Successful people have a vision and push push push, doing what ever it takes to get what they want.
This is one of my aims for the year that is for sure, and this post has inspired me even further.
Clayton says
Great advice. It’s a good habit to try to do at least one thing every day that will bring you at least a little bit closer to your goals.
Success is like a muscle that you have to build up over time. And the way you workout that muscle is by taking action. Like you said, after some time, taking action becomes a habit and it gets a lot easier. Almost natural.
-Clayton
Tomas Stonkus says
Hey Alex:
Momentum builds! Yes it does! I had the luck of experiencing the momentum build in the positive and negative direction. It kind of sucks when it stats going down.
However, I get what you are talking about. You are talking about building a habit for success until you eventually become success yourself.
I have thought about this a lot and I sometimes it is tough to keep going, but thanks to posts like yours I find it in me the courage to keep going and not stop on my way to success.
Matter of fact, I am expecting to release a free e-guide on creating a positive change in one life and I will definitely mention many of the principles discuss in your article!
Keep writing Alex!
Good work!
Tomas
Brett - DareToExpress.com says
ALEX! You enigma, you.
You come lordin’ this corner of the internet? Good to see you here.
Anyway, man, this is a killer post. I don’t even have anything to add to it, it was that good. Keep up the good work.
XOXO,
Brett
Jason @ guyknowledgy.com says
I couldn’t agree more with this post. I think human nature is to take the easiest path possible. It takes extraordinary action to create an extraordinary life.
I asked a friend once what I should do about something I really wanted and she responded, “What else will you do in 5 years?”. Good point and I took action.
Betsy Talbot says
People tell me all the time that they could never do what we’re doing – completely remaking our lives to travel around the world full time. They act like I just woke up one day with that idea and the next day it was done.
Success is about a long road of tiny steps and decisions that make the bigger ones even possible. The small stuff really is important.
If you aren’t thinking about your success every single day, then it simply won’t happen. Great post!
Rafael says
Great post…taking action is the biggest difference!
The Success Professor - Danny Gamache says
Great article Alex.
The importance of taking action is so important and yet so many people sit around doing nothing and wonder why they are not more successful. They need to take your advice and take action. I like the idea of asking yourself the question of what you can do right now to be more successful. Take the answer to that question and act on it, and you will move forward.
Amit Sodha - The Power Of Choice says
Hey Alex, great piece. As you said momentum build and leads to the success of a self fulfilling prophecy.
Great job!
Steve-Personal Success Factors says
There are a lot of different angles on this. Tony Robbins talks about the need to take Massive Action. But you are also right that any action builds momentum. I like the art of continuous and never ending improvement, where you can take even 1% action steps toward your goals daily. By the end of the year you could be 365% closer to your success!
Great article. Thank you for sharing!
Michael says
Very motivational post.
However, I disagree with your comment that “taking action” is the only thing getting in people’s way of being successful. It is misinformed and arrogant to assume that everyone who is “unsuccessful” is that way because they “live in a daze.”
Not only do you need motivation and a plan, you also need resources. Unfortunately, most people don’t have the resources to follow their dreams. Sure, it is possible, but it is a lot easier for the child of a middle-class family to follow their dreams than that of someone born into poverty.
It takes far more work and motivation for the poverty-stricken to achieve “money, success, freedom, happiness and glory” than for those who have advantages.
With that being said, I do respect the article. It is well written for those who have the opportunity. I might also argue that money and glory have nothing to do with freedom, happiness and success, and that in many cases actually hinder it. But that’s a whole other conversation.
Have a great day.
alternaview-Sibyl says
Great and inspirational post Alex. I think this is something everyone needs to hear. If you fall into that category of a successful person, it serves as an important reminder and confirmation that continued dedication and taking action is what it is all about. If you fall into the other category and are still trying to identify the path to success, it shows you the difference with your approach and what it will really take to realize continued success.
Alex Blackwell says
Simple, but very powerful point. Either we are taking action (which means we are alive and well) or we dying (sometimes without even knowing it).
Thanks for this important reminder.
Alex
Farouk says
I know how this feels, sometimes i spend months wanting to change something then one day i wake up and decide that i will start today. quite inspiring, thanks 🙂
Steve says
A very true and simple concept. The problem for most of us is that simple doesn’t mean easy.
Great post.
Fatibony says
Love the way you have put this message across, and what kept coming up which was fab ! was Take Action …it is obviously the key to success. And we just have to stay in momentum to make it work ..Great post enjoyed it
Nea | Self Improvement Saga says
Great post, Alex. Very well written…. and I really love the part about living in a state of productive positivity. Thanks for sharing.
Peggy Farabaugh says
Thanks, Alex, Marc and Angel,
So true. We all need to be reminded of this… frequently. You said it well.
sam cooper says
This Blog made me realized the importance of “Choices” that we make in our life. Every decision matters, one wrong move can make our life miserable.I my self am horrible about letting things grow to big and then having them fail or move slowly because i want them to be to much of a good thing. Thanks for reminding me to stay focused.Boundaries, deadlines and self imposed rules are a huge help to getting things done particularly with a creative project. When we lay out the definition of what we want to accomplish and include a time frame to accomplish it in we are much more productive and able to focus. Setting aside the neat ideas that don;t fit for latter consideration.
Bob Muyskens says
This article is fantastically inspiring; it nearly brought me to tears while reading in a public place.
Thanks for doing what you do keep it up.
liz says
Importance of “Choices” is that we make are own life. And in every decision that we made is matters, so in one wrong decision that we made it can make our life more miserable.
Barry Overstreet says
This is a great article. Action truly is the difference between those who achieve and those who watch.
It doesn’t matter how much knowledge or skills you have, if you don’t, can’t, or won’t act on it, it’s nothing more than wasted talent.
Thanks for providing such great content for others to learn from!
~Barry
Roxanne says
This was a great read. Usually these types of posts either annoy the hell out of me or enhance my depression. This one didn’t. That says a lot, really.
garry says
Great post… very inspiring! Thanks!
Andrea says
Wow.
I was reminiscing today over the one person I’ve ever had in my life that lived like this. I’ve longed for that effect ever since they left. This was the wake up call I needed to get off my butt and make that life my own.
Thank you!