03: Action That Propels Personal Growth and Longevity
Want to improve your life? Of course you do.
In a previous post I emphasized that personal growth and longevity cannot be random. And true to theme: there's an A.R.T. to it.
For our purposes here, there's an A.R.T. to how I want to help you on your personal growth and longevity journey.
Rather than add to the already "noisy" personal development self-improvement space I choose to narrow the focus.
Here's how I choose to break it down - the "a.r.t." of personal growth and longevity (from my perspective) is:
- A-ction
- R-esilience
- T-ime
That's the formula you’ll experience throughout my content going forward - in some form or another.
Hopefully, the formula will help you turn-down-the-noise a bit relative to growth and longevity content. So, now that you have some perspective on where I'm coming from let's explore the first part of your personal growth and longevity formula.
Taking "A-ction” to propel your personal growth and longevity journey
Personal growth begins when you do. Its sustained (longevity) when you take consistent action!
Here's a core fact to deal with. According to Mel Robbins,
"You're never going to feel like it!"
That truth is perhaps the reason you've stayed where you are.
It could be why you...
- Choose to stay in a relationship, job, career, or behavior pattern
- Avoid confrontation
- Delay taking action on your goal(s)
Furthermore, it could be the main reason you've stagnated in some area of your life and stopped thinking about your legacy.
What is an action-bias for personal growth and longevity?
A bias for action will propel you forward. Shifting out of neutral is an essential first step.
Get this...it really doesn't matter if you're confident in your next step.
Course corrections can be made!
What matters is movement!
Pure and simple action sets in motion a variety of outcomes in your life.
- Action increases confidence
- Action fuels innovation
- Action refines and refreshes your ideas
- Action defeats doubt
- Action intensifies resolve
- Action builds resilience (more on that later)
- Action launches new habits
How to take action for growth and longevity
Success in life comes when you have a low tolerance for overplanning.
Think about that.
Plans fail not because of the details.
Rather...
Plans fail (most often) due to lack of...action!
Perhaps you've planned to take action on eliminating a habit. First, you'll look at all the reasons the habit (whatever it may be) is not good for you.
Then you'll list all the reasons you should stop doing it.
Then you'll think about when you started doing it in the first place.
You see where this going?
The more you think about stopping (and actually avoid the “action" OF stopping) you'll not likely grow to where you successfully eliminate the habit.
But...
The moment you say to yourself (and someone you trust to hold you accountable):
"Im stopping this NOW!"
You'll then be in a position to replace the habit with something better and more productive - that's personal growth!
Your action-bias opens the door wide to new and potentially better choices.
This personal growth and longevity essential is way better than a random approach of merely "aiming" to take action.
- Aiming to do better
- Aiming to start the business
- Aiming to ask him/her to dinner
- Aiming to be a better partner or parent
- Aiming to get out of debt
- Aiming to improve your self-confidence
- Aiming to be true to your soul and values
- Aiming to make a career change
What good is taking "aim" if you never (or rarely) take the "shot?"
Do this instead...
Apply a Ready-Fire-Aim (R-F-A) approach to your next action step.
Instead of ready-aim-aim-aim-aim...why not flip the script and take action?
R-F-A is possibly the best and fastest way to defeat perfectionism. That's the bias that causes you to delay rather than deploy!
Readiness isn't about aiming. It's about firing (action)!
Accuracy isn't about hitting the bullseye every time. It's about making adjustments so that every action you take gets you that much closer to more pinpoint accuracy overtime (growth and longevity)!
No one consistently hits 100% of what they aim at. But it's certain that you'll never hit what you fail to take action on!
Get on with it!
You quit when you stop taking action. So, wait to quit but by all means - quit waiting.
This list from Jack Canfield is pure gold:
"Quit waiting for:
- Perfection
- Inspiration
- Permission
- Reassurance
- Someone to change
- The right person to come along
- The kids to leave home
- The new administration to take over
- An absence of risk
- Someone to discover you
- A clear set of instructions
- More self-confidence
- The pain to go way” 1
There is indeed an A.R.T. to personal growth and longevity.
And it starts with - action!
What are you waiting for?
Permission is granted to start throwing some "colors" on the canvas of your life.
The key: keep moving!
- Source: Jack Canfield, The Success Principles-How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be, p104.