Written by Karen D. Swim

“Contemplation often makes life miserable. We should act more, think less, and stop watching ourselves live.”-Chamfort, French Playwright

This week, I spent a great deal of time learning. I read, participated in webcasts, teleseminars and soaked up wisdom from anyone willing to share it. I had the opportunity to interact with business leaders I respect and learn some of the techniques that have worked for them.  Throughout the week I found validation for a long held belief of mine – The Secret is that there is no secret.

We are surrounded by people who have accomplished the things we want to do and are happy to share how they did it. Never before has information been so readily accessible. Yet so many continue to seek that one magic thing that will finally propel them to their dreams.  The  only difference between you and the people who have accomplished what you want to do is action.

As Brett so eloquently pointed out this week, you have to be a participant. Sitting on the sidelines and learning the rules is useless if you don’t take action.  The masters, gurus and leaders can’t make it happen for you, no more than watching someone else work out will give you six pack abs. They can impart information, and share from their experience but then you have to take action.

“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”–Leonardo da Vinci

Our life is very much like a garden.  You must plant something in that patch of dirt before anything can bloom.  Thinking about how you want the garden to look will not cause it to magically sprout plants.  The seeds and the soil are the materials you need for a garden but you still must take the action of planting thm. You then of course have to tend to the garden by watering, fertilizing, and weeding to keep it in good shape.

The funny thing about taking action is that even that is not magical. You can get very excited about planting a garden and run out and buy seeds, fertilizer and garden tools. You can come home, load it all up in the yard and decide it’s too late to start planting that day. The next day, it’s too hot.  The next day you have errands, a business trip, the kids have soccer practice. Before you know it, months have passed and you have the materials for a garden and no results.

You have to act and then keep taking action until your act becomes a habit. This is when the real magic happens.

Have you ever allowed excuses to stop the momentum of your action? How did you overcome it? Let’s talk about it and learn from one another! Add your two cents or nickel in the comments. 🙂