People are always talking about how they are thinking about doing something. The more you think about something the harder it gets. The only way to get out of this rut is to do something. When you start doing things it becomes easier and you realize that the effort it takes to do something is less than thinking about it. I’ve laid out a simple set of concepts that will help you go from thinking to doing.

Hit the Ground Running

Getting started is the hardest part. This is the point where you have to create an idea, decide it’s worth doing and then do it.  The process of getting started can be broken down into two parts. Those two parts are “Think of an Idea” and “Take Action”.

• Think of an Idea

Thinking of your idea is the easiest part. You can start this part many different ways and it’s most about what makes you feel creative. When you have a good idea make sure you write it down so you don’t forget it.

• Take Action

Taking action can be difficult. Depending on what your idea is it can be difficult to take the first step. This is where planning comes in. During the take action stage you will want to break down your idea into parts that you can do. Don’t overthink this. Pick 5 things that you will need to do or learn to reach your goal. List them in order from most to least importance and start checking them off.

Expand Your Understanding

The next step in the process of doing instead of thinking is personal development. In this stage you are “evolving” and “learning”. There is no correct order for this because you are just trying to take the knowledge you are gaining from doing and then adapting it to make it better.

• Evolving

This part of the process is when your idea grows and changes as you learn more about what you are doing. Your initial idea may be great but as you get more involved you will see that some things won’t work as well as you would like and you will need to change what you’re doing.

• Learning

This is probably the most important part of doing something rather than thinking about it. When you are thinking about something you will constantly be looking at the same information and the amount you learn will be small. When you start doing you take in more information because of the new experiences. At this point take in as much information as possible. Learn from mentors, mistakes, videos, books or whatever you find that makes learning easy.

Don’t Give Up

Giving up is the biggest mistake you can make when you are trying to do something rather than think about it. When you give up on something before you are done you essentially turn all of the time and effort you put in into a waste. You don’t want to waste time because time is your most precious asset. If you are at the point where you want to give up look at your options and see if you can take your newfound knowledge in a different direction. Whatever you do don’t give up.

Achieve Success

This is the last stage in doing instead of thinking. Your hard work pays off when you become successful but don’t forget that success is what you want it to be. When you have finally achieved your goals you will be able to look back at all of the things you went through. You will be able to appreciate what you have done for yourself. You will now have a new skill set that you can apply to your next idea. Every time you have an idea stop thinking and start doing.

Fear, The Great Motivator

Fear as motivation isn’t something you hear about often. Sometimes you will hear people say to face your fears. Most of the time people just try to avoid being scared. This is a problem because when you are pushing yourself you are going to be scared. This is completely normal. You shouldn’t hold yourself back because of an idea. Take action and use fear as motivation!

Why Fear is a Great Motivator 

Using fear to motivate yourself makes sense because it is a natural response to danger. At one point in human history we used fear as a way to keep ourselves from being injured or potentially killed. That’s not the same as modern times. Most of the things people are fearful of won’t actually cause any problems. If you look at the most common phobias (heights, spiders, and snakes), most of them won’t actually hurt you. Yes in very specific circumstances they can but it is unlikely. So when you are thinking of fears you should think of them as a way to push yourself to new limits.

Fear is Something That Can Either Push You or Hold You Back

When you are fearful of something you have 2 choices. You can embrace the fear and push forward or you can continue to be scared and hold yourself back. It is a mental game and I know which side I’m going to choose, what about you? Pushing yourself with fear will give you a chance to grow as a person. You’ll have the opportunity have new experiences that will create new ideas. Going outside of your comfort zone is the only way you will ever achieve more than average. Don’t let yourself fall prisoner to an average lifestyle!

Look at The Success of Others

Success comes to those who are willing to push the limits of what they believe is possible. The most successful people in the world have been fearful of something. Look at what they have achieved and know that it is possible for you to do the same. One of the best ways to learn about the fears and success of other is reading biographies. A biography is like a mini mentor that will help push you to the next level. Many people back down from fear before they should because they don’t want to fail. You must push through that fear just like all of the successful people before you!

Fear of Failure

People are scared of failure because we are taught from a young age that failure is bad. The problem with that is failure is one of the best ways to learn. If you look at babies they learn how to walk by failing. The stand up and then fall until they eventually learn to balance and quit falling. Over time learning from failure gives you a chance to turn failure into success. Failure gives you a chance to develop skills that would have been missed if you immediately become successful (not that this is bad but it’s uncommon. If you can push past the fear of failure you expand your comfort zone. Once you realize your comfort zone is larger than you originally thought you have already taken the first step towards success.

Fear of Success 

Success is a weird thing. Depending on who you ask you will get a different definition. What matters most is that you define your own success. This is where people get scared of success. It is hard to be successful when you compare yourself to others. The success someone else has may scare you and make you think you can’t achieve more. This is untrue. Don’t let peer pressure and the belief that the success someone else achieved is the only right way.

Success is what you make it. Your success may be having more friends or earning more money or maybe spending more time with your family. No matter what you choose, push yourself as hard as possible to achieve your goals. The scariest part of success is that you don’t know what it feels like until you have achieved it. The fear of success is really just the fear of failing to achieve your goals. Don’t let fear decide how successful you can be!

Success Comes to Those Willing to Face Their Fears

No matter what you do the next step will always cause you to be fearful of something. Don’t let this fear hold you back. You are living your life for you and you can push yourself to do anything you set your mind to. You’re the only limiting factor in your life. If you struggle with pushing yourself, you may want to find a friend or family member that will be your accountability partner. Someone that is there to push you when you’re scared to push yourself. It’s time to face your fears!

To help you get started on facing your fears we want to you find 1 thing that you are scared of and write it down. Next you should make a list of 5 reasons why you are scared. Then you will want to write down at least 5 reasons why facing your fears will make your life better. Share this list with your partner and let them work through why facing your fears will benefit your life with you. Your partner should ask “What’s the worst that can happen?” this question will open you up to the fact that most of the worst case scenarios aren’t that bad.  Last you will want to get out there and use your fear as motivation!

If you have any trouble finding an accountability partner feel free to contact us. We’re always happy to help someone achieve more!