Inspiration

Is Acting in Spite of Fear Really the best Way to Go?

Over my lifetime I have taken thousands and thousands of dollars worth of courses in a wide variety of subjects, ranging from Accounting to Self-Growth, and many topics in between those two extremes.

For years seminar leaders exhorted me to plan, to set goals,to write down a plan of action and then finally, just like Nike they said “Just do it!”

I always found that goals were an interesting topic for me. I sure most of you have heard that Harvard Grads were tracked for a number of years and those who wrote down specific goals during their schooling were the ones that succeeded. I have begun to wonder, however, is it perhaps not the writing down of the goals, but the actual strong desire for an end result that set the successful grads apart from their fellow alumni?

One group of trainers insisted that the goals be attainable, while others were equally convinced that the goals had to be very big and very challenging.

So for many years I wrote down goals faithfully, but somehow they never came to fruition.

Ah, I was told, that was because I did not take the action required. So I began a period of research into the whole goal/action thing.

I discovered:

1. Taking action in spite of fears (of failure or success) rarely, if ever, worked. I was continually tripping over rocks in the path;
2. My strong desires came to a successful conclusion far more often than my written goals;
3. When I was inspired, things seemed to fall into place effortlessly;
4. The less I pushed for my goals and desires, the more readily they showed up;
5. Desires that were very big, stood as much chance of coming about as ‘attainable’ desires. The key was belief that the desire was doable.

So now I operate on a totally different way of being:

1. I take no action without inspiration;
2. When I really want something, I spend some time thinking about the joy of achieving it and how it will affect my life, and then ...... I forget about it and let it simply show up;
3. I do not write down goals, instead I write down all things in my life for which I have great appreciation;
4. If I am fearful or procrastinating about an action I wish to take ... I examine my reasons and then I make a decision to either take the action or not take it. Whatever my choice, I become committed completely to that choice with an attitude that I have chosen wisely. Then there are rarely any regrets post mortem.

Life is much easier now.

And that’s my last word on the subject!