Taking action can feel difficult, because the transition from inaction to action requires a mental and physical shift that often feels intimidating. It may feel intimidating, but if you remember these simple tips, taking action will come as easily.

• Stay Out of the Results
  One reason taking action can feel overwhelming is because you’re focusing on the results. You might be thinking something along the lines of, “What if I take action but then I fail?!” or “What if I put all this work in and then after all that I’m not happy with the outcome?!” If you think like this, the worry will paralyze you and you may never take action. So, change your attitude and your priorities. Instead of taking action to manipulate the outcome, take action for the sake of experiencing life! Life, as they say, is about the journey, not the destination. Similarly, an endeavor will only feel worthwhile and enjoyable if you focus on the process, one step at a time, instead of looking ahead in an attempt to micromanage the future. Once you free yourself from the obsession of the results, taking each step will become easier and easier. 
   
• Remember Your Motives
  You want to take action in a certain direction, towards a certain goal, because a passion is driving you. Maybe there’s a specific job you really want, maybe there’s a vacation you’re eager to take, maybe you want to fit into a pair of jeans or quit smoking or learn to sail a boat! Whatever it is you want to take actions towards, you’ll stay focused by remembering what’s driving you. To help yourself out, write out a list of about three reasons you’re taking action towards this desired goal. Then, post the list somewhere you will see it every day, such as the bathroom mirror or your nightstand.
   
• Celebrate!!!
  There is no reason to take action towards any kind of goal whatsoever if you’re going to use it as an opportunity to berate yourself. When we set goals, take action, and find that we’re not quite getting there as fast as we want, many of us tend to get down on ourselves and take it as a sign of failure. But when it comes to taking action, there is no such thing as failure. Failure, if anything, would be not taking action at all (IF you really want to use the word ‘failure’). As long as you are taking action, no matter how small the action is, you are succeeding. And, to prove it to yourself, celebrate every step of the way. If you want to quit smoking and made it one whole day cigarette free, make a point to celebrate. Pop a bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling cider, crank up the music and dance, blow up a balloon if you want! This might feel ridiculous, but no one is watching you, so it doesn’t matter. These small celebratory rituals will send signs to your brain that you’re doing well, that you’re on the right track. This, in turn, will encourage you to keep going, instead of letting self doubt take over. For the bigger milestones, let the celebrations get bigger, too. A year without smoking? Throw a party that you and your friends will remember forever. You seriously deserve it. 

So, as you can see, taking action may not be so difficult after all. Action is forward motion, and when that motion is purposeful and self-driven, the experience is both fulfilling and empowering. Taking action while staying out of the results is a way of claiming the driver’s seat in the car that is your life without the misery that comes from micromanaging. If you think about it, it’s the only way to live.