WHATEVER IT TAKES, TAKE ACTION
Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Centre, Lagos, Nigeria, made a presentation titled “Whatever It Takes, Take Action”. That was many years ago. I heard the expression “Analysis Paralysis” for the very first time then. I may not remember all that he said during that presentation but the title and the expression have stuck with me. And for very good reasons.
Similarly, Dr. John Maxwell, globally acclaimed number 1 leadership expert, related his father’s favorite riddle, in his book The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: “Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many remain?” When I heard the riddle for the first time, my instinctive answer was “One”.
But he said the answer is Five, because there is a difference between deciding and doing. That difference is the distance between dream and reality.
And that brings me to the main objective of this essay:
Nothing changes until we take action.
While decision is very important and commendable, nothing actually changes if that is where we stop. Perhaps that is why Walt Disney insisted that:
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing”
The story is told of a war situation in ancient Israel. The country was at war with Syria, and was under siege by the Syrian army for many months. Things got so bad that people resorted to eating doves’ droppings. They even bought them with money! The king, in desperation went to meet the prophet, who predicted that within 24 hours food would be surplus at the city gate. The king’s economic adviser exclaimed, “Impossible; even if food fell like rain”!
Meanwhile, there were four lepers, banished from the city and languishing outside the city gate, oblivious of the king’s encounter with the prophet, and the prediction that ensued. Starvation forced them to ask themselves a soul-searching question: “Why do we sit here until we die?” They were courageous enough to provide honest answers, complete with the analysis of available options. Two options: certain death if we continue to sit here, or remote chance of survival if we go to the Syrian camp.
The answer to that question was Action – action that led them on an apparent suicidal trip to the Syrian camp. But when they got there, to their utter surprise, the whole army had fled, leaving their supplies behind. They ate to their satisfaction and filled their store, before informing the city of the situation.
The lesson here is that their conditions changed only after the moved – when they took action.
Contrast that with the people in the city. I imagine that they heard of the king’s encounter with the prophet. But that is where they stopped. I imagine that some ‘experts’ were still analyzing the likelihood of the prediction coming to pass when the lepers, who had no idea of what transpired between the king and the prophet, concluded their layman’s deductive reasoning and took necessary action.
How does this apply to you and me, and especially those who have been following my series on goal setting? I would strongly advise that you read the whole series if you haven’t already done so.
You have taken the pains to go through the process of setting goals, along with all the supporting systems. That is wonderful. What is now required is action. Nothing else will convert those goals into reality.
Let me ask you these questions? When are you going to take action? When are you going to get up and go? Michel De Montaigne is quoted as saying:
“No wind favors he who has no destined port”
Until you set about what you decided, no circumstances will be favorable. Don’t wait until you are ready to act. Get out and take action and you will become ready in the process.
There are opportunities you will never see, helpers you will never meet and favors you will never receive until you get up and take action.
Enough of planning. Enough of analyses, over-analysis that paralysis courageous action. Enough of waiting for favorable circumstances. Enough of waiting for opportunities. Favorable circumstances and opportunities have been waiting for you. Get up and take action. Someone has said,
“The distance between dreams and reality
is called action”
Whatever it takes, take action!
And convert your goals into reality.
