The Power of Decisive Action

What's stopping you or most people from doing what you've always wanted to do in  life? It can be anything, really, but let's cite a realistic example for argument's sake. Losing weight, for instance. Why is it so hard to begin and harder still to finish anything that is worth undertaking? Why do most people FAIL to succeed? A lot of questions but not a whole lot of answers. Let's digress for a minute on a simple thought; the power to put words into action. Let's take that notion one notch higher by stating the power of taking Decisive Action. What is decisive action? It is action which is done with complete commitment and vindiction in order to see completion or fruition of a certain desire or need.

In order for us to understand why we fail in implementing worthwhile changes in our everyday lives let's understand one fundamental human behavior: change is often times painful and there is comfort in staying the same not straying too far from comfort zones even if it meant having to do so is essential for personal growth. Why is that you ask? Well, it's simple, really- we are afraid of the unknown, of uncertainty, and of taking risks. Our desire to live a healthier and longer life, for instance, is greatly hampered by our lack of motivation and fear of not succeeding. What are we afraid of? Failure, for one, but there are other factors which we put stress and emphasis in avoiding as well. Let's enumerate those "other" factors now:

1. We are afraid to change or try something new because we essentially underestimate our potentials.
2. We are afraid because we don't want to commit ourselves into something which has no known guarantees
     besides the fact that normalcy will take a backseat from now on.
3. We are afraid too change because we don't want to be stereotyped by anyone's standards.
4. We are afraid to change because having to begin again takes too much time and effort on our part.
5. We are afraid to change because we cater to the notion that people should respect our individuality and
     that our imperfections define who we are.

Do any of the top 5 statements sound familiar to you? It should because they pertain to all of us. While they may be true on some regards, it all depends by what we mean by "changing". In essence, what is CHANGE? Know that we act upon a certain need or desire based on two different principles. If something causes us pain, we veer away from the cause or avoid it altogether. If something brings us pleasure we strive towards a certain goal which allows this pleasurable feeling to be experienced time and again. There is no other given set of stimuli which clearly defines our need to take action than the two previously mentioned. However, as we grow and acquire maturity ( physical, emotional, spiritual), we have clearly defined a given set of standards or set of rules which dictate how and what we should do in times of struggle,pain, or even joy. What I am saying here is that we have closed our minds to the possibility ( which is more likely than unlikely) that as we face life's challenges there will be an inherent NEED to RESET our standards and change towards adaptability.  But what does all of these have to do with the ability to take decisive action? Simple. By having an open mind, we can assess a given situation, or any situation, for that matter, as they are, free of our stereotypes and ideals, and act upon them properly.

Now let's put the power of decisive action to the test on a real world case scenario. Let's take my example above. Say you are OVERWEIGHT. You are about 15-30% above your ideal weight as dictated by your BMI (Body Mass Index). You know that you are not alone since a lot of americans are also overweight, if not more so than you. So what do you do? You tried dieting, of course, and even tried walking around the block several times every morning to get your heart rate and metabolism up so you can burn your calories more efficiently. You even tried herbal solutions such as slimming teas and dietary supplements to help you win your war against fat. You tried surfing the web to get a better gauge of what your lipid profile and blood sugar should be. You may have even given up smoking and other vices which are known risk factors for lifestyle diseases. Then you ask yourself the most important question after several years of these-why aren't you losing weight? Where did you go wrong since you've tried them all? There is no one correct answer to that question so instead of running around trying to find an explanation, any explanation, let's construct a plan of action which you can implement daily. Make it routine until it becomes a habit, and only then will it be second nature to you. So here are The 7 Steps to Taking Decisive Action.

1. Stop blaming yourself. Give in to the fact that you are not perfect and never will be. Understand that you
    have limits to what you can accomplish but there is no limit in what you can try. Don't blame yourself for
    past failures because you aren't the only one who didn't finish a race.

2. Reassess what your goals are and remap the necessary actions you need to take on a daily basis in order
    to reach that goal. Don't make it lofty. Instead keep it realistic.

3. Understand the fact that you cannot do this alone. You need emotional encouragement and motivation
    from the people you love. By giving you support you have with you at all times a reason why you should
    see things through.

4. Accept the fact that at times you will fail. See failure in a different light. Instead of seeing it as an end see it
    as an opportunity to learn, to reset your learning curves.

5. When the opportunity presents itself or if a need arises ACT immediately and without hesitation. DO
    NOT BE AFRAID. Stand your ground and face the challenge head on. Make decisions and take actions
    with surgical precision. Do not set any given plan in stone. Learn to make necessary changes along the
    way to adapt to any unforeseen circumstances.

Let's answer the question of why we fail. Did we lack planning? Maybe effort or even commitment? Maybe all of the above but that's not really important. It is how we stand up after each fall that counts. We fail because we are human beings. We try, we fail, we learn, and we try again, until we succeed. It's just the way things are. So don't despair. It isn't the end of the world. Learn from your experience and assess what needs to be done the second time around. Once you see that golden window of opportunity take decisive action towards it. Make your move and reap your reward. It's been a long time coming, anyhow. Take care guys. Know that you are never alone in this game of life. This is JowelMD, and once again, signing off, but not signing out.