Nothing Changes Without Action
Change without action doesn’t exist.
Everyone has the ability to wake up one day and decide they want to steer their life in a new direction. Change happens at the moment we decide we want to do it and then follow through with immediate and consistent action. But also, at this moment when we decide we want to change, something strange happens.
Fear of Change
At first, the mere idea of change seems amazing. It even inspires you enough to peak out behind your comfort zone, and into the unknown to see what lies on the other side. But then, as you move closer to thinking about making the first step, about making a real change, going for the life you want, your mind seems to find all kinds of reasons to stop you. This is the moment where fear comes with its deceptive tricks why it would be hard if you start, why you won’t succeed, why you don’t need a change in the first place, and so on. The fear of change is real.
There are six fears related to the fear of change which will tell you that change is not needed:
- Fear of Failure
- Fear of Success
- Fear of The New
- Fear of Criticism
- Fear of Pain
- Fear of Discomfort
These fears will tell you that life isn’t so great no matter which path you choose, so you might as well stick to the path you’re currently on. They can poison you so much, that you discard the amazing idea that change is possible, even when you have clearly seen yourself on the other side.
“How do I combat all those fears?”, you may ask. With action. Ask yourself: “What do I have to lose? If not now, when?” Robin Sharma said:
All change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and gorgeous at the end.
How to Overcome Fear of Change
To overcome the fear of change, and all the fears associated with it, you need to look deep inside yourself. Ask yourself: “What is the worst thing that can happen?” Then imagine the worst-case scenarios created by your beautiful mind. Can you die if you change? Can you lose your job? Or get a divorce? Or maybe you can succeed? Maybe you can live the best life possible? What do you have to lose?
Make all the scenarios – good and bad. Then acknowledge all the fears and dedicate yourself to killing them one by one. It will be hard as hell, but nothing worth having comes easy. Just focus on taking one step at a time, one foot in front of the other, and you will overcome them all. Sooner or later, you will stand above your fears, and your life will be amazing.
Lights, Camera, Action
We have shed light on our fears, recorded our thoughts, and now is the time for action.
Let’s look at an example of a person who wants to lose weight. Let’s call it Joey. Joey is 35, a father of two. Loving husband and a good friend. Joey is a truck driver. He was a high school athlete with a Greek God body, but as he got older, and started driving thousands of kilometers per week, his eating habits deteriorated. Day by day, month by month, year by year, he ate more calories than his body needed. And now, at 35, a look in the mirror reveals a different person. Numbers on the scale match the look.
Joey is not happy with how he looks and wants to change something. He overcame all his fears, doubts, and worries. He is ready to change. He made a decision in his conscious mind that losing weight would be beneficial to his health. He made a diet and exercise plan, he even visualized himself thinner, but after 2 months nothing changed. His appearance has remained the same, and the numbers on the scale seem frozen in time. “What could possibly have gone wrong?”, Joey wonders.
We can aspire all day and all night, but without physically moving our bodies, nothing matters. Change won’t happen, no matter how much willpower or visualization we invested in it. Remember: change without action doesn’t exist.
Don’t be Joey. Move your butt if you want to change something in your life. This holds true for all changes. You want to finish college? Study more. Want to be a better partner? Invest more time in your relationships. Want to retire at 55? Start saving and investing today.
The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.
Changing Our Beliefs
The amount of effort invested in change is directly related to our beliefs about what is possible. If we don’t believe in the potential of a change, we will take little to no action.
We can look at two examples, Rebecca and Carol.
Rebecca’s dream is to become a world-class dancer, but everyone around her keeps saying that she doesn’t feel the rhythm, and because of that she cannot dance well. Especially not at the world-class level. She thinks this is true, and with this thought, she just reinforces the idea that without rhythm she cannot be successful in what she wants to do. Rebecca keeps practicing, but with the constant discouragement of family and closest friends, her determination, focus, and output begin to deteriorate. Eventually, she drops the whole idea and stops practicing.
Carol, on the other hand, has the same problem as Rebecca but she doesn’t want to listen to the naysayers. She believes that with constant practice she can improve, and with time even eliminate her problem. Carol focuses on honing her skill and after many years of constant practice becomes a world-class dancer.
Two similar situations, two different beliefs, two very different results.
Remember: You are your beliefs. And your reality is a reflection of your strongest belief.
Nikos Kazantzakis said: “To succeed, we must first believe we can.”
Therefore, upgrade your belief system to match your vision. If you believe change is possible, you will put more effort into it, and the amount of effort directly affects your outcome.
Become A Person of Action
You have decided you want to change, you’ve overcome your fears, changed your beliefs, and started to take an action. Now is the time to push yourself and raise your standards.
Raising your standards involves raising your expectations, raising your effort, and raising your commitment. Become a person of action. When you start to see the progress, momentum kicks in and makes you want to do even more than before, so you’re changing your life even faster. Even if you’re tired, or on the verge of defeat, don’t stop. Overcome all adversity and change your life. Expect greatness from yourself because when you expect greatness then you want to take massive action, and when you take massive action, you get massive results.
Practice action every single day, and I promise you will change your life forever. If you fail or miss a day, don’t worry. Pick yourself up and start again. And again. And again. This is how true winners live their lives.
Cheers!
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