Action: The missing link after decision

John Maxwell tells a story of when he was young and his father’s favourite riddles went like this: Five frogs are sitting on a log; four decide to jump off into the water. How many frogs are left on the log? The kids would yell, “One”. “No”, the father would respond. ”Five. Why? Because there’s a difference between deciding and doing!”  

How many times have you ever felt a strong conviction to make a decision to do something? You went ahead and made the decision in your heart, and it felt good. Days, weeks, months and possibly years went by with no action at all. So many of us have resolved and decided to do certain things, but we have never went ahead to do them. Invariably, the decisions were made, but no action ensued. Making a decision about something doesn’t automatically translate into an action. The fact that you decided to stop smoking doesn’t necessarily mean you stopped. Unless a decision is accompanied by an action, it is rendered null and void.

Action, particularly consistent action regarding your decisions is a proof of your resolve.  The hardest step is usually the first step; hence the litmus test to the legitimacy of your decision is the existence of a corresponding action or lack thereof. Furthermore, the law of diminishing intent kicks in the longer you wait. This law says, the longer you wait to do something you should do now, the greater the odds of that you will never actually do it.

Frank Clark’s quote resonates here when he said, “What great accomplishments we’d have in the world if everybody had done what they intended to do”. Imagine where the world would be today if some of the prominent figures didn’t dare to take an action for follow their decisions and resolutions. What if Martin Luther King Jr didn’t take an action fighting for civil rights as he marched on Lincoln memorial shouting “I have a dream”? Imagine what could have happened if Nelson Mandela and many other anti-apartheid activists resolved in their hearts to stand against apartheid but never took a single action regarding their convictions? What if Steve Jobs never acted on his innovative inclinations? Imagine if the inventors of cars, aeroplanes, ships and everything that we use today allowed the fear of failure to paralyse them into inaction?

What are some of the causes of decisions without action? The most prevalent ones are: fear of failure, lack of motivation and paralysis of analysis. Robert Schuller once said “What would you attempt to do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” Failure is part of learning and should be embraced. Don’t let fear of failure stop you from taking action. The second cause is lack of motivation. Often times we wait for inspiration to strike us before we can do something. Seldom does it happen that way. Motivation follows motion. John Maxwell warns us, “Motivation is not going to strike you like lightning. And motivation is not something that someone can bestow or force on you. The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation, just do it".

Lastly, People usually over analyse plans in the beginning hoping to have a perfect and clear view of the road ahead. They hope to have all questions answered, all instructions given and all tools available in advance. When you drive at night especially on an unfamiliar road, your lights won’t reveal the entire route all the way to the destination at once. As you start driving, more road and direction is gradually revealed. When you started, it seemed like there was no road. The authors of “The power of small wins” put it this way, “in the face of an unknown future, brave people act. They deal with uncertainty not by trying to analyse it, or planning for every contingency, or predicting what the outcomes will be. Instead, they act, learn from what they find, and act again.”

No matter how small your plans and decisions are, take that first step and act on them. The future is unknown, who knows what that first step or subsequent steps will lead to? Much of the greatest advancements never resulted from the big bang approach. One idea, decision and action led to another and then another and then something big manifested. 

I leave you with this famous quote from Myles Munroe. “The wealthiest place on earth is not the diamond mines of South Africa, nor the oil fields of Kuwait. Nor is it in neither the banks of Switzerland or London nor the stock markets of New York City. The wealthiest place on earth is the graveyards and cemeteries. In the graveyards, lie the remains of people who died with books in their hearts that could have become best-sellers. They died with uncommon ideas in their hearts about finding the cures to cancer, aids, and other diseases that for ages have plagued mankind. In these graves are people who died with beautiful unsung songs and ballads that would’ve touched our hearts. They died with ideas about business that could have impacted the economy. They died with ideas about starting organizations or ministries that would have changed the world”
Don't make the graveyard wealthy!