Action is King

Nothing happens without action.  Change produces benefits.  Only action produces change.

You can spend years studying how the stock market works, but unless you take action, you will not reap the benefits.  You can spend a lifetime studying how to swim, but without diving into the water, you would not acquire the skill.  You can spend a lifetime thinking about a decision, but without taking the decision, and acting upon the decision, nothing will happen.

There are a few exceptions. You might receive a rich inheritance from a relative who passes away.  You might be born into a rich and wonderful family.  Another exception. but for most other things, if we want improvement in our life, we need to take action.

Why don’t we take more action?  There are two reasons.  First, deciding the right act is hard, for action can bring benefits, but it can also bring disaster.  This fear prevents many people from taking action.  I think buying stocks of ABC will increase my money, but it can also lead to losses, so I will not act for now and think more about it.   I think this more senior role will give me more satisfaction in my work, but I might fail and lose my job, so I will remain content in my current position.

That is why thinking behind an action is important.  What are my options?  Which one should I choose?  What are the rewards?  What are the possible consequences?  Can I survive these consequences?  What are my options if the consequences occur?  Is it worth it?  These are questions for which thinking and information gathering is required in order to set the right course of action. 

But without the action, knowing the right course of action produces nothing.  It is no different from not knowing the right course of action.  So, only study the right course of action if you will take the next step to act on it. Otherwise, it is all just a waste.

The other reason is that it is hard to take action. You want to write a book, but it takes a lot of effort and sacrifice, so you don’t do it. You want to get a better job, but it takes a lot of rejection, so you don’t do it.  There is no shortcut here. You just have to do it.  These most successful inventors worked very hard.  Many of the most successful people work very hard.  The top employees at Goldman Sachs are famous for being wealthy and for having to work very very hard and for very very long hours.  Why should you be an exception? 

But here you can get some help with tools.  Tools like computers and software and reduce the tediousness of work.  Writers from an earlier generation had to write their books using typewriters, and do their research from libraries.  You can write your book using your word processor, and do your research through Google.  The work require is not as hard as before.  It could be that you are just lazy.