"The
purpose of man is in action not thought." - Thomas Carlyle
Often
people will ask me how I get so much done in my life. They wonder at how
I am able to accomplish so many things. The answer is found not in what
a great person I am, but in an equation I came up with a few years ago
and remind myself of on almost a daily basis. And when I live this equation
out, it produces big results. What people don't seem to grasp is that this
equation will work for anybody! Anyone can see results in their life
if they will live it out!
This
little equation, when it is understood, and acted upon, is perhaps the
most powerful equation there is in regard to long-term achievement and
accomplishment. Yet, this is not a complex equation. In fact, it is rather
simple. So what is it?
Your
short-term actions multiplied by time equals your long-term accomplishments.
If
you want to see change in your life, see big results, the first thing you
must do is change your current actions. Otherwise the old saying becomes
a reality: "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get
what you always got!" But if we change our actions, we will see different
results!
Most
people want to accomplish a lot in their lives. Yet very few actually do.
Why is this? It is because what they believe will equal their long-term
accomplishments are wrong. Here are some of the things that people believe
will create great accomplishments for them:
-
Beliefs
-
Vision
-
Big dreams
-
Ideas
-
Ideals
-
Values
-
Desire
The truth
is that while these things are very important, they are not enough in and
of themselves. We need to have the above underlying all that we do, but
we need to actually do something! And this is where most people stop. We
need to take action on our dreams and beliefs every day.
Here
are some examples of how this works.
-
Who loses
weight? The one who knows all about the benefits of exercise or the one
who walks 3 miles a day?
-
Who retires
early? The one who dreams of a house on the beach, or the one who invests
$300 a month?
-
Who writes
books? The one who desires to become a best-selling author, or the one
who gets up early and writes for half an hour a day?
-
Who has
the best marital relationship? The one who knows how much spending time
with their spouse can improve their relationship, or the one who sits down
and talks with their spouse every night?
-
Who makes
the most sales? The one who believes they can become a great salesperson,
or the one who makes 10 sales calls a day?
I think
you get the point. When it all comes down to it, we must act upon our vision,
beliefs, and ideals or we won't see them come to fruition. I see too many
people who know what is right, but don't ever do anything about it. Imagine
what a difference we could make in our own lives and the lives of others
if we would simply begin to act upon on our beliefs!
When
I get to the end of my life, I want to know that I have done all that I
can to make this world a better place and to enhance the lives of those
around me. I want to know that I gave it my best shot. And I am sure that
you do to.
I remember
reading an interview with an author who has written numerous books that
have sold in the tens of millions. They asked him how he did it. His answer
was that he got up every morning before anyone else in his family and wrote,
long hand, with a pencil, for an hour. Then he quit and went about his
day. But his short-term actions piled up. Seven hours a week...30 hours
a month...365 hours a year. After a while, he had lots of books!
Some
questions as we leave:
-
What long-term
accomplishments do you want to see come to pass?
-
What short-term
actions will you need to do over time to see them come to pass?
-
What will
you do today to begin seeing your dreams come true?
-
What will
you do this week to see them come true?
You can
have an awesome future, filled with great achievements and results if you
begin today to take action and make it a reality!
One
more time, so you can plug it in, memorize it, and live it.
Your
short-term actions multiplied by time equals your long-term accomplishments.
Chris
Widener is a popular speaker and author as well as the President of
Made for Success. Just give him a call at (425) 526-6480 to schedule.
Be sure to visit www.madeforsuccess.com
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