21 Tips for Taking Initiative

Tip Number 1: Just do it.

The first step is always the hardest. Your mind will come up with all sorts of scenarios to prevent you from taking that scary first step toward your goal. That does not mean you are a coward, though. It is just your brain’s way of defending yourself.

Sometimes, though, you have to listen to what your heart has to say and just do it. Everything else will be a lot easier once you get past the first hurdle – and that is to ignore your brain’s dire warnings and go with your gut instinct.

 THE GREATEST PLEASURE IN LIFE IS DOING WHAT PEOPLE SAY YOU CANNOT DO - Walter Bagehot

Tip Number 2: Doing something is not always a physical thing.

It is understandable if you mistook the need for taking action as doing something literally or physically. Yet you see, there are many other ways for you to take action without even lifting a finger. For that matter, consider the act of planning.

It is never wise to try achieving a goal without a plan. If you want to spend the least amount of time and effort in achieving your goal, then you need to come up with a step-by-step plan for accomplishing it.

A good plan takes into account all potential consequences as well as all the possible avenues you may take in order to reach your objective.

 YOU HAVE GOT TO GET UP EVERY MORNING WITH DETERMINATION IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO TO BED WITH SATISFACTION -George Lorimer

Tip Number 3: Breathing helps.

Are you feeling nervous or nauseous? It is normal to feel uneasy about doing anything to reach your goal. Taking action is often synonymous to taking risk. You are nervous because you know that risks can either end with success or failure, and who wants to end up failing?

Whenever you feel like there is a panic attack coming in, just take a deep breath. Better yet, take several deep breaths. Studies show how breathing can effectively clear the mind and help calm your nerves. So go ahead and breathe - inhale all the way from your stomach to take full advantage!

 DON'T BE INSECURE IN THIS 21ST CENTURY

Tip Number 4: Take a page from the most successful books.

You may think that you are the only one suffering a certain kind of problem of a certain magnitude in this world, but you are not. With a little research, you are sure to find something in common with ordinary and extraordinary people.

You may not be a U.S. President like Bill Clinton, but you are running for a position and you have limited funds like Clinton for your campaign. What did Clinton do that you can do as well? In the end, it is all about finding the small but essential similarities.

 GREAT MOTIVATIONAL BOOKS MUST READ ONCE IN A LIFE

Tip Number 5: Take baby steps.

Do not push yourself to achieve the same things with the same amount of time and resources the way other people had done. In the end, you have to remind yourself that every person is unique and, consequently, his own set of strengths and weaknesses.

Also, it could be that you are just starting out and the other person you are comparing yourself to is years ahead of you in terms of expertise and experience. The other person cannot afford to take baby steps, but you can and you should!

If you rush things too much, everything may end up backfiring on you.

 THE MAN WHO MOVES A MOUNTAIN BEGINS BY CARRYING AWAY SMALL STONES

Tip Number 6: Rome wasn’t built in a day.

This is obviously related to the above tip, but it is different in the way that it takes into account what you want to do with your time.

It is good to have a plan for everything, but you do not have to accomplish everything in a single day. Even if you have the energy to do so, the people around you and who also have something at stake in reaching your shared goals may not have the time and similar energy to do so.

Give them a break. If all of you have truly worked hard, then all you deserve to rest. There is always tomorrow to think about.

 THE ONLY LIMIT TO OUR REALISATION OF TOMORROW WILL BE OUR DOUBTS OF TODAY

Tip Number 7: Do not pressure yourself.

Pressuring yourself is different from motivating yourself. Motivating yourself will get you to take action while pressuring yourself will only succeed in freezing your limbs and brain cells into a state of inaction.

There are sure to be other people and other sources you will receive a lot of flak and pressure about getting things done. Why burden yourself with more pressure when you can give yourself a pep talk instead?

 EMBRACE YOURSELF - MR GREAT MOTIVATION

Tip Number 8: A little competition is good – just do not make a big deal out of it.

Competition can make you take action because the more you delay, the further behind you will be in achieving your goal. Friendly competition is also effective for staying focused and getting you pumped up but be careful!

If you let yourself focus too much on the competition, then you may end up forgetting about the bigger picture. In the end, being too competitive may be another source of distraction that you absolutely do not need.

 DON’T LET YESTERDAY TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF TODAY

Tip Number 9: Believe in yourself.

Taking action requires you to have faith in yourself – especially when everyone around you is telling you that you cannot do it. In the end, you have to remember that you know yourself best. You know what you are capable of, and if you believe that the goal you have in mind is well within your reach, then it truly is – no matter what others may say.

 WE GENERATE FEARS WHILE WE SIT. WE OVERCOME THEM BY ACTION

Tip Number 10: Get a companion.

Just because you have someone with you and willing to help you out does not mean you were not strong enough to accomplish your goal. It also does not make your goal any less satisfying. If anything, the goal becomes sweeter because you have someone to share it with!

If you feel that you need your wife to be at your side to accomplish a particular goal, then go and make it happen and again – forget about what anyone else has to say. As long as you are not hurting yourself or anyone else, then there is nothing wrong with what you are doing.

 THE NUMBER ONE REASON PEOPLE FAIL IN LIFE IS BECAUSE THEY LISTEN TO THEIR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBOURS

Tip Number 11: Get someone to do it for you.

Taking action also does not mean that you have to do everything alone. Say your goal is to build a house. Does that mean you should do everything, from putting up boards and painting the walls? Of course not!

Taking action may also mean finding the best person to do the job. So do not be shy to admit if something is well beyond your actual KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities). There are just some things in life that are better left in the hands of an expert.

 VISION WITHOUT ACTION IS MERELY A DREAM. ACTION WITHOUT VISION JUST PASSES THE TIME. VISION WITH ACTION CAN CHANGE THE WORLD - Joel Barker

Tip Number 12: Do not be too proud to ask for help.

A lot of people confuse taking action as doing something that directly contributes to achieving a particular goal. What they fail to understand is that sometimes, indirect benefits also matter just as much.

Consider, for instance, the act of forgetting about your pride. Some people may say that it has nothing to do with achieving a certain type of goal, but what if it is your pride that is holding you back from getting much-needed help from an expert?

 YOU MEASURE THE SIZE OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT BY THE OBSTACLES YOU HAD TO OVERCOME TO REACH YOUR GOALS -  Booker T. Washington

Tip Number 13: It is okay to start again.

What if there comes a point in time that you realize that the first step you took was actually the wrong one? Or what if you suddenly realize that what you are doing is not taking you toward your goal but away from it?

Do you just sit down and cry over spilt milk? If so, that is not equivalent to taking action. You may be doing something, but it is nothing that can help you achieve your goal.

If you realize that something is wrong, then clear your mind and retrace your steps until you find out that critical mistake you committed. Correct it and move on. If you have to, start from scratch – the sooner, the better!

WHERE YOU END UP DOES NOT DEPEND ON WHERE YOU START; IT DEPENDS ON WHICH DIRECTION YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE FROM WHERE YOU CURRENTLY STAND

Tip Number 14: Never stop trying!

As mentioned earlier on, the process of achieving one’s goal is never ending. Taking action also means that you have to get back to your feet if you stumble or fall. It is even okay if you have to start all over again. In the end, what is critical is that you do not let your failures keep you from continuously taking action and moving forward.

So go ahead and pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and learn from your mistakes. You will be a better and stronger person for doing this!

 WHEN YOU WANT TO SUCCEED AS BAD AS YOU WANT TO BREATHE, THEN YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL - Eric Thomas

Tip Number 15: Have a back-up plan.

Plans – just like rules – are meant to be broken. And you need to be prepared for that eventuality right from the start by having a contingency or back-up plan ready.

Others feel that back-up plans are akin to admitting failure. It is not. Rather, back-up plans are actually a mere way of acknowledging the fact that change is the only thing that is constant in the world. There is no way for you to predict what is going to happen in the next minute, but you can try to prepare for things that could happen.

Think of it as smoothing the way to taking action toward achieving your goal.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, THERE IS ONLY ONE MOTIVATION, AND THAT IS DESIRE. NO REASONS OR PRINCIPLE CONTAIN IT OR STAND AGAINST IT - Jane Smiley

Tip Number 16: Consider your resources.

Taking action gives you direction but that is not what it is all about. You also have to consider the resources you have on hand. How do you make the most out of it? What other resources do you need in order to make a move? Where can you get it?

Willpower and motivation as well as focus are all great things to have but these are internal resources. You also have to back up your plan with external and concrete resources like money, manpower, and skills.

 FAILURE IS THE CONDIMENT THAT GIVES SUCCESS ITS FLAVOR -  Truman Capote

Tip Number 17: Look before you leap but leap all the same if you have to!

There are two kinds of risks: manageable and unmanageable. You are lucky if all the things you have to do to reach your goal involve manageable risks. But what if it is not? Should you back out instead and let all your previous hard work go to waste?

Risks are scary, and it is a good thing that you are aware of that. Those who think that they can take on any kind of risk are simply foolhardy and reckless. They are certainly not brave or exceptionally smart.

If you come across an unmanageable risk or one where the stakes are too high, do look before you leap. Consider the ups and downs, but most importantly of all – consider what your brain and guts have to say. Then leap – and leap high – if you really need to!

 A GOAL IS NOT ALWAYS MEANT TO BE REACHED; IT OFTEN SERVES SIMPLY AS SOMETHING TO AIM AT - Bruce Lee

Tip Number 18: Do not be too rigid or stubborn.

You have to know when to give up and change tactics. On paper, your plan may look fool proof and absolutely brilliant but a lot of things in the real world are unpredictable and can mess up with your plan.

You have to know when to stop knocking yourself against the wall and find another way toward reaching your goal. Remember: when there is a will, there is a way. If your Plan A did not work, what else is your Plan B good for if you are not willing to use it?

 I HAVE NOT FAILED. I HAVE JUST FOUND 10,000 WAYS THAT WON’T WORK - Thomas A. Edison

Tip Number 19: Do not wait for things to happen. Make it happen instead!

The most successful people in live are always those who are active participants in life rather. Instead of passively waiting, hoping, and wishing that something would happen to them 

They are not the kind to wait for a sign from the fates or a falling star to appear in the sky before they get moving. If they have a goal in sight, and they have a plan for achieving it, then they will move heaven and earth to get it.

 TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST, BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO - Robert H. Schuller

Tip Number 20: Give yourself a reasonable deadline.

Existing commitments may be a valid reason for preventing you from taking action completely to achieving your goal, but you also have to understand that these commitments are never going to go away. They are there for life. It is therefore unreasonable to keep pushing off the need to take a proactive stand because of your “commitments”.

You have to be firm with yourself and give yourself a deadline. Sometimes, that is the only way to get things done.

 YOU HAVE GOT TO GET UP EVERY MORNING WITH DETERMINATION IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO TO BED WITH SATISFACTION - George Lorimer

Tip Number 21: Be decisive.

When you do commit yourself to a plan and take action, do be decisive about it. This will help smooth things up more and make it easier for you to achieve your goal. If you are in a leadership position, people are unlikely to have faith in your decision if they can see that you yourself do not have faith in what you are doing.

You have to show them that you know what needs to be done and you have the power to help everyone reach their goals – if they follow you.

IF YOU ARE WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE PUSHED. THE VISION PULLS YOU - Steve Jobs

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