This article today came about after I had a brief discussion with a very successful online business leader as I was looking into a Joint Venture proposal with him. We had very quickly got down to business and also sharing our mutual stories when it became clear to me, why some people become successful and why some people don’t. You see this guy was exceptionally successful, but he was also just a normal guy. So what was the difference? He took decisive action and kept on doing it, especially in the early days when things may not have always been going so well for him.

You need to do the same with your own life. No one is going to give you a hand up. It is in your observance of what is happening in your life right now and how you choose to act/react to it that defines HOW you live. The foundation of your success depends on your ability to perceive everything that is happening right now as a positive step in the right direction. Just being here right NOW reading this post (considering for yourself the message I’m trying to convey) is enough to steer you in a totally new direction which just might get you to your goal sooner than you think. Imagine your dream life 1, 2 even 5 years from now as if it were a city or state on a map. Which route would you rather take to get to this destination? Would it be the longer obstacle infested more difficult roads? Or, would you rather take the direct, straight and simplest path imaginable? The correct answer is of course a no brainer right?

Now I want you to imagine that you are only 3 inches tall and standing at the foot of a giant staircase. Stay with me for a second as I try to help you visualise something here. Every time you climb one stair level (or rise) you must walk across it (thread) to the next and immediately begin to climb again or you will never get to the top. Each stair run represents a piece of knowledge; every stair rise represents the action you must take on that knowledge to get you to the next level. Learning is walking across that stair… Action is climbing each stair … One of the biggest problems I see with people I’ve met is the ability or lack thereof to get back up and keep moving. Many just get stuck on that first stair!

Prioritize or Perish

Only you can decide what matters the most to you. If you choose to work at a job that you hate instead of focusing your time, energy and money on your passion, so be it. No one is going to twist your arm and make you learn how to turn your passion into cash. That’s all up to you! You will not be alone in that scenario because it is only a small number who actually decide to do something about it.

Organize or Overwhelm

Frustration is simply programming that needs to be erased. I know it’s sometimes easier said than done, but there is never a valid reason to be frustrated. No matter what you may think at the time. When you find yourself becoming overwhelmed with information, organize it into groups and learn one thing at a time. Once again, this is your life and no one is going to make it easy for you but you.

Act or Aguish

Whether you’re learning how to write music or market to a targeted audience, you must first LEARN and then take ACTION. I’m not even going to try to back this one up with statistical data but in my honest opinion 110% of all failure is due to lack of taking the appropriate action at the appropriate time. Too many just jump in and act like a bull in a china shop and wonder why things are not working out. You must learn what needs to be done and then act on that new information in a progressive, organised and structured manner.

I am going finish this article with a little reminder:

I want you to remember this… Every mentor you follow, every teacher you learn from, every individual you admire has taken ACTION on the KNOWLEDGE they have gained IMMEDIATELY to achieve their level of SUCCESS.

Now, I ask you, are you up to the challenge of being a leader or are you too lazy to make the climb?

Tomorrow I’m going to continue with the staircase analogy and show you how to leverage others to climb to the top. But in the mean time, what is holding you back from taking action today?