31. Why taking action early is crucial to success

Takeaways:

Break down the first 1-3 steps of your goal so you have a starting point. 

Even if you overthink, you’re still going to come across a situation that you didn’t see coming. And you’re going to have to think on your feet, and figure things out as you go, and work through challenges, setbacks, and surprises. 

Instead of using all your energy overthinking every possible scenario, use that energy to learn things as you go and overcome obstacles as they come up. This is how you build grit and resilience which are key components of success. 

Being successful is not about avoiding falling down, it’s about getting up more times than you fall down. Just don’t give up. 

Working through challenges is how you become the type of person who is successful. 

Taking action early is so important because the closer we get to taking action, the more resistance we feel. And working through that resistance is key to getting where you want to go. 

Not giving up is more important than choosing the “right thing” to focus on.

It’s totally okay to start with one thing and pivot to another. It’s part of the process. 

Being in a certain category doesn’t automatically opt you out of what you want to do. 

There’s a reason the thing you want to do is on your heart, and possibly the reason is because you’re the one who’s supposed to. The world needs you. 

You may have more capacity that you’re giving yourself credit for. 

Sometimes, there is an option to gain more support or take something off your plate to free up more resources for what you want. 

When you feel the “who do you think you are?!” voice talking you out of believing you are worthy, think about where that voice is coming from. Who are “they”? And who are you not to do the thing? Why not you? 

There can be really deep reasons for doing the things you want to do, and also there doesn’t have to be a reason for you to do things that light you up. You are worthy of trying things just because you want to. 

No one else is responsible for how your life turns out. The people whose permission you're waiting on are not the people who are going to answer for your life at the end of the day. So, why would you give them control over what you choose to do?

When you  get a little bit of time and capacity, spend it doing something that’s going to make you feel alive, that’s in line with your values, that’s going to get you closer to the person  you want to be. 

Give yourself the permission to do the thing. 

It doesn’t matter if it’s the right thing; it matters that you start.