“Action cures all” is one of my favorite quotes from Tom Bilyeu. When we feel frozen with fear, don’t know what step to take next, unsure of how we will get “there”—the answer always lies with action. No matter what it is that we are facing or dealing with, we must take action. I agree with Tom, action does cure all. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I try to challenge myself to take one small step. Forward progress is forward progress. Momentum matters. This is the entire meaning behind “Start Going Further” for me. It’s about starting. It’s about taking action. We can’t be going further if we don’t take action.
But, like most things it’s easier said than done right? Although I am passionate about this topic, and everything with my personal brand is under the umbrella of “start going further” I still struggle with taking action. I struggle with taking action a lot. I’m working on it though, and have made a lot of progress. So what stops us from taking action?
I think several things stop us. A lot of us have fear and anxiety wrapped up in the outcome of something or doing something, so our brains convince us that it’s better to just sit on it instead. We may really, really want to do something but taking action or starting feels insurmountable. Sometimes I feel this way with a blank page of a blog post even! We may think that we have more time than we actually do. I’m a very future-oriented person, so I tend to feel this way a lot. I get wrapped up in planning for the future, and dreaming about the day I’ve done the thing that I want to do (finished writing my book for example), so much so that I end up not doing enough in the present moment.
Another big reason we may struggle taking action, is likely the fact that it’s hard. Whatever it is that we’re wanting to do—career change, write a book, lose weight, adopt a meditation routine, start a podcast, launch a small business, and anything else that has gotten our attention and interest. I know it’s hard to actually “do the thing” that we want to do, but I would argue that sometimes the mental chaos that comes with NOT doing it, feels worse.
What’s helping me most in my current season of life with trying to finish my first book and get more consistent with my content output (blogging and podcasting mostly), is reminding myself of Tom’s quote. We are never going to magically have more time. If anything, as time goes on and we get older—there’s only more items added to our to do lists and plates. This is a helpful reminder, because it’s the truth. I’ve realized when I start doing the things that I actually want to do, that really set my soul on fire—I’m happier, more content, and have more inner peace. I think it means that I’m living more in alignment with my true self. I also realize that I’m capable, and this is really important. We’re so much more capable than we think.
I’ll conclude with this. Taking action also requires sacrifice. What are you willing to give up or change about your life in order to do the things that you really want to do? For me with my writing, it can be as simple as waking up 30 minutes earlier to get in a short writing session. Sometimes I think 15-20 or 30 mins of writing a day isn’t enough to accomplish anything, but the reality is—this time is adding up in a really good way! Start holding yourself accountable to your dreams and goals, start going further, and remember—”action cures all”.