Rule Over Self: Part III - Action
“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.” — John Locke
Action is how we apply our learning and thinking. Without it, our learning exists only in our mind, our ideas are merely wishes, and our learning only knowledge. We need to learn how to apply our learning and act on our thoughts.
It is often that we create reasons why we can’t apply our learning and thinking. “I don’t have time,” “I would, but …” and the list goes on. We have invested time to learn ideas and practical ways of thinking, but for some reason we cannot bring ourselves to act. These are the mental obstacles we must overcome to help us transform our thoughts into reality.
The problem is we have obstacles that prevent action. We have ideas in our head, but struggle to turn them into reality. We have built bad habits that prohibit growth. We shy away from risks and avoid what is uncomfortable. We tell ourselves lies about why we cannot get started. There are so many reasons why we cannot turn our ideas into reality.
The purpose of this part is to help you develop more bias for action. When we understand why we fail to perform, we can take the steps to become more action-oriented. When we learn to take responsibility, we realize that it is all up to us. While we may not have the perfect circumstances and conditions, there are new opportunities to grow every day.