The longer I run my business the more I notice that people love being inspired, but taking action is a whole other story.
Here’s what I mean. Some of my most popular posts on Instagram have some sort of motivational quote on them, but as soon as I post something with actionable steps no one cares.
Or, people are inspired by my story and want the same for themselves, but they don’t actually move toward taking any action.
The worst is when they love the inspiration but refuse to take action. This article isn’t for those people. It’s for the ones who want to move forward but for some reason are at a standstill.
Taking Action by checking your fear.
When most people are stuck at the inspiration stage and are failing to take any action it’s likely because they are afraid. More specifically they have any of the following fears:
- Fear of failure.
- Being criticized.
- Fear of putting themselves out there.
- Life not being controllable.
Are you experiencing any of these things right now? Maybe you don’t realize it, but on an unconscious level that could be what’s keeping you taking action.
You see, us humans aren’t that sophisticated. Our brains just want to keep us safe. However, it’s our job to move past it.
Commit to it.
Another reason people stay stuck liking inspirational posts on IG but fail to take any action is because they haven’t actually committed to anything.
“Sure, running a business sounds cool. But do I actually want to put in the work?” they ask themselves.
At this stage, you’re probably dipping your toes in but you haven’t committed to anything. Your marketing efforts are likely inconsistent, you aren’t dedicating time to your business and you generally like to watch other people do it more than you like doing it yourself.
That’s okay. I spent some time there too. But the reality is I eventually got sick and tired of being sick and tired. I knew that if I wanted to have a career the way I truly wanted to have it, that I would have to commit to taking action.
Find an accountability partner.
Something else that could help you move from being inspired to taking action is to get help. Sometimes this looks like a friend or colleague that holds you accountable. Other times it looks like a mastermind group. And sometimes, as was the case with me, it looks like hiring a coach.
Put your money where your mouth is.
I often joke that you’ll know I’m serious about something when I throw down some money to make it happen.
There’s something about actually investing in your idea that forces you into taking action. Maybe it’s because it’s hard to watch money leave the bank account, so you want to get your money’s worth. Or maybe it’s because you want a return on your investment.
Whatever the case may be, sometimes putting your money where your mouth is will be the best motivator when taking action.
