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.

Why You Aren’t Successful Yet?

At some point in time most of us have asked ourselves “Why am I not successful already?” Well, it’s an easy question to answer; simply because if it was we’d all be driving around in exotic cars, taking 3 month vacations to foreign countries, or exploring the open oceans on our million dollar yachts.

While this all may be; the real question you should be asking is “Have I been making the choices that will make me succeed in the future?” Being as none of us can foresee the future, the best thing to do is look at the options. What you can look at are if YOUR choices align with the choices of people that have already achieved success. Hence leading to our “5 common mistakes people are making that are preventing them from being successful.” The good news is that once you understand these mistakes, it is unbelievable how easy it is to change your mindset, and start making the same decisions many millionaires make every day!

The 5 Things Holding You Back

1) Not Setting Goals

Goal setting is something that everyone should do but most people don’t. When was the last time you wrote down your goals? I’m guessing it wasn’t recently and if it was they were probably small goals or a to do list. Goal setting is really about setting up big goals that challenge you. It’s about turning your dreams into something that is achievable.

If you are setting goals you are creating a roadmap to success. This road map will let you create big goals and big models that will push you to achieve things you couldn’t do before. Don’t go along with the crowd and ignore goal setting. Not setting goals is one of the big drivers in why you aren’t successful already.

2) Paying Yourself Last

Have you ever noticed that when you get a paycheck immediately everyone is asking for a part of it? You end up paying for taxes, food, housing, entertainment, and transportation. If there is anything left over at the end of the month you use that as you investment money if you are lucky. Most people have more month than money and that’s never a good thing. This is known as paying yourself last.

What you want to do is pay yourself first. Start off with a small percent (1-3%) and increase this until you are up to at least 10%. This is money you pay yourself first. It may be tough at first but over time you will adjust. This payment towards yourself should go into an investment that over time will pay you. It can be anything from school to real estate to stocks or even commodities. If you don’t know anything about investing find a professional that can help or if you’re more hands on you can learn yourself. Just remember that if you aren’t paying yourself no one else will. Don’t let others decide where your money is going.

3) Your Network Needs Improvement

Have you ever noticed that successful people hang out together? That’s not a coincidence. The successful people in society have learned that the people they associate with make a huge impact on their lives. This can be seen on the opposite end of the spectrum as well, unsuccessful people tend to spend most of their time with people that are also unsuccessful.

Take a look at the 5 people you spend most of your time with. Are these 5 people striving for greatness or have they accepted mediocrity? If they aren’t striving for greatness they are holding you back. This doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t talk with them. What this means is it is time to work on your network. The best way to do this is to find the type of person you want to be like and start spending time with them. One of the big goals you should be creating is finding a mentor that has already done the things you want to do. They can share advice and guide you on your way to success. If you don’t know where to find them look for clubs related to your interests. Don’t forget that you are the sum of the people you spend the most time with!

4) Lack of Education

Education is something that scares a lot of people. If someone randomly told me my lack of education was holding me back my first thought would probably be “but education is expensive”. That may be true in some cases but you don’t need formal education to create a better life for yourself.

One of the best ways to educate yourself is through reading. Books and eBooks are also a great way to get mentorship that I had mentioned before. You don’t need to meet someone to learn from them. If you read a book it gives you the opportunity to expand your mind by looking into the thoughts of someone who has experienced more. That seems like a great way to learn. You don’t even have to read now that audiobooks are easily accessible.

Another great way to learn is through online courses or certification programs. Some of the programs can cost money but others are free. Depending on what you are interested in you can Google courses and certifications and find what you are looking for.

To become successful you need to create a skill set that causes you to stand out from the crowd. These skills can be learned in many different ways. All you have to do is spend the time to educate yourself when others are wasting time.

5) Wasting Time

Wasting time is one of the biggest things holding people back. Have you ever tracked how much time you spend on social media or watching TV per day? It’s definitely something you should track because the average time on social media is up to 2 hours per day and TV is up to 5 hours. Can you imagine what you could do if you had an extra 2-7 hours per day to spend on achieving your dreams?

Instead of wasting your time, schedule out your day with time blocks. A time block is a 15+ minute time period that you set aside specifically for a task. I personally use 1 hour a day for reading. That time block is the same every day and has become a habit. Habits make things easier. Use these time blocks to create your goals/plans, expand your network, educate yourself, and learn to invest. Once you’re using your time properly you’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish!

It’s Time to Become Successful

Success is not something that comes over night. It takes time to create habits and change your mindset. One of the best ways to go about becoming successful is to share your ideas. When you share your ideas you find people that are like you. Finding people like yourself allows you to build your network. You can even have people join in on your pursuit of excellence. These people will become your accountability partners. Teach them about how important it is to set goals. Show them how paying yourself first has allowed you to create extra income. Educate people on the topics that you’ve educated yourself on. Don’t forget to show them how much you have accomplished when you became accountable for your time. There is no limit to what you can do!

If you think you are ready to start making a difference your life and others share these concepts with your friends. Some of them may not like that you are trying to better your life but that’s ok. Find the people that want you to succeed and invite them on your journey. It’s time for you to create your own success and stop making excuses!