Develop Follow Through and Take Action!

Most of us know what we need to do and even how to improve our lives. The solutions are often obvious. We know how to lose weight, make more money, or keep a tidier house… but the challenge is doing it!

Just knowing what to do is not nearly enough. Simply 'knowing' gets you nowhere, and without action, is useless. Action and persistence are everything.

Here are some tips to help you to follow through and take action:

Make a true decision. Making a true decision means cutting ties to any other option. Often we fail to commit completely to our decisions. We are half-hearted and give up too quickly. Understand that a real decision is a contract you make with yourself. Give yourself the respect you deserve.
Get clear on your values. Know and understand your values, and you’ll follow through more often. Knowing your values increases the quality of your decisions. It keeps you going when you hit an obstacle. You’ll be less likely to give up when you live by your values.
Be realistic about how challenging it will be. Things are often more challenging than initially believed. This is a common reason for not following through. Expect challenges along the way, and face them. When you anticipate and prepare for things to be challenging, you won't be surprised and flustered when they are. Anticipate, then prepare possible solutions in advance.
Manage your emotions. Successful people are manage their emotions – they take control of them. Meditation is one way to gain control of your emotions and yourself. Focus on making positive decisions, no matter how you feel at the time. It's easy to make decisions that reduce anxiety in the short-term, but this usually leads to long-term failure. Keep your eyes fixed on the prize.
Work consistently toward your goals. A little effort each day will accomplish more than a lot of effort occasionally. Consistent daily action will keep you focused, and your emotions in check.Resist the belief that you must work yourself into the ground to be successful. A little each day adds up to a lot. Make a list of a few daily actions, then do them.
Focus on the end result. Adopt a long-term perspective and keep the vision of your achieved goal in mind. Remind yourself of the prize waiting for you at the end. Visualize success and how great you’ll feel. Bask in the imagined feeling. That’s the key to following through.
Remember everything worthwhile is uphill. Do you give up and move to a new project whenever things get tough? There’s no glory without struggle. Challenges make your successes greater.