Grow the Action Habit

Grow the action habit

THINGS MAY COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT, BUT ONLY THE THINGS LEFT BY THOSE WHO HUSTLE ' ABRAHAM LINCOLN ' 16TH PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

WHAT WE THINK OR WHAT WE KNOW OR WHAT WE BELIEVE IS, IN THE END, OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE. THE ONLY CONSEQUENCE IS WHAT WE DO ' JOHN RUSKIN, ENGLISH AUTHOR, ART CRITIC, AND SOCIAL COMMENTATOR

Satisfaction Comes from Enough Action. Have you ever noticed that the last six letters in the word satisfaction are a-c-t-i-o-n? In Latin, the word satis means enough. What the ancient Romans understood clearly was that enough action ultimately produces satisfaction.

Do it Now! Over a thousand miles away, a struggling actor named Sylvester Stallone watched the fight on a newly purchased television set. Though Stallone had contemplated the idea of writing about a down-and-out fighter getting a title shot before he saw the Ali-Wepner fight, he didn't think it was plausible. But after seeing Wepner, whom most people didn't know, fighting the most well-known fighter of all time, all he thought was Get me a pencil. He began to write that night, and 3 days later, he had completed the script for Rocky, which went on to win three Oscars, including one for best picture, thus launching Stallone's multimillion-dollar movie career.

Nothing comes merely by thinking about it. Everything we have in the world, from satellites to sky-scrapers to baby food, is just an idea acted upon.

As you study people- both the successful and the just average- you find they fall into 2 classes. The successful people are active; we'll call them 'activationists.' The just average, the mediocre, the unsuccessful people are passive. We'll call them 'passivationists.'

One can discover a success principle by studying minutely both these groups. Mr. Activationist is a doer. He takes action, gets things done, follows through on ideas and plans. Mr. Passivationist is a 'don'ter.' He postpones doing things until he has proved he shouldn't or can't do them or until it's too late.

The difference between Mr. Activationist and Mr. Passivationist shows through in countless little ways. Mr. Activationist plans to complete a job in a single day. He takes it. Mr. Passivationist also decides to complete the job in a single day. But he postpones it to the next day and the subsequent day. Mr. Activationist decides and he does. Mr. A feels that he should drop a note to someone he knows to congratulate him on some achievement. He writes the note. Under the same circumstances, Mr. P. finds a good reason to put off writing the note and it never gets written.

The difference between Messrs. Activationist and Passivationist shows through in all forms of behavior. Mr. A gets the things done he wants done, and as by-products he gains confidence, a feeling of inner security, self reliance, and more income. Mr. P doesn't get the things done he wants done because he won't act. As by-products he loses confidence in himself, destroys his self-reliance, lives in mediocrity.

Mr. Activationist does while Mr. Passivationist is 'going to do but doesn't.'

A lot of passivationists got that way because they insisted on waiting until everything was 100 percent favorable before they took action. Perfection is highly desirable. But nothing man-made or man-designed is, or can be, absolutely perfect. So to wait for the perfect set of conditions is to wait forever.

Action must precede action. That's a law of nature. Nothing starts itself, not even the dozens of mechanical gadgets we use daily.

Your home is heated automatically, but you must select (take action) the temperature you want. Your car shifts gears automatically only after you have set the right lever. The same principle applies to mind action. You get your mind in gear to make it produce for you.

When you go to work, follow the priceless principles. See HOW MANAGEMENT'S PERSPECTIVE CHANGES TOWARDS YOU.

? Be a person of action. Be somebody who does things. Be a doer, not a 'don't-er.'

? Don't wait until conditions are perfect. They never will be. Expect future obstacles and difficulties and solve them as they arise.

? Remember, ideas alone won't bring success. Ideas have value only when you act upon them.

? Use action to cure fear and gain confidence. Do what you fear and fear disappears. Just try and see.

? Start your mental engine mechanically. Don't wait for the spirit to move you. Take action, dig in, and you move the spirit.

? Think in terms of now. Tomorrow, next week, later and similar words often are synonymous with the failure word never, Be an 'I'm starting right now' kind of person.

? Get down to business. Don't waste time getting ready to act. Start acting instead.

? Seize the initiative. Be a crusader. Pick up the ball and run. Be a volunteer. Show that you have the ability and ambition to do.

(The author of the said article is Mr. Iyer Subramanian, Joint Director-HR from Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry).

About the Author:

My name is Iyer Subramanian. My qualifications are as under. Bachelor of Arts, Diploma in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations, Diploma in Labor Laws & Labor Welfare, Diploma in HRM, Diploma in Training & Development.

I have around 25 years of experience in HR and write for Express Hospitality, Hospitalitybiz, Business Manager regularly on HR.