Ready, Aim, Fire!
By: David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

Are you a person who has a propensity for action or inaction? I know that may sound like a strange question, but one that each of us should answer. I heard it best from one of my mentors when he stated: “Some people just aim, aim, aim, aim, and never pull the trigger.” I am sure you have known people like that. They simply can’t make decisions. They need more time or more information. Perhaps they just need some encouragement, or are simply procrastinators.

To be fair, all of us have behavioral profiles which come into play. By nature, some of us look for challenges and opportunities to try new things, while others are more conservative and want to wait. That said, if we want to grow and achieve great things we need to act. The good news is that we can cultivate a mindset of action.

The first key in cultivating a mindset action is to start your day well. Joe Duncan of Before5am said it best when he stated: “The first 90 minutes of the day belongs to your dreams and your vision for life.” So how are you starting your day? Do you begin your day by getting out of bed as soon as the alarm sounds or are you hitting the snooze alarm until you need to rush out the door without breakfast?  So often we fail to realize the power of starting our day off on the right note. If you want to be a person of action you need to create your own morning routine by getting up a little earlier and preparing ourselves not just for the day but our future. Take a walk, get some exercise, spend some time in reflection on what you want to accomplish. Review your action plan for the day. That’s right, make a plan with action items.

The next step is as simple as doing the next thing on your list. It will feel so good. Trust me, whenever we check off a completed task it feels good and the reason is a chemical called Dopamine. As we complete tasks, our brain releases Dopamine and gives us this great feeling of satisfaction. Often I will encourage people to do the tough things first. Get them out of the way and the rest of the day will just flow from one achievement to the next.

Lastly, review your progress. This will also give you a great feeling of empowerment. You will be building momentum and will be well on your way to unstoppable growth and achievement.

So don’t put it off! Ready, Aim, Fire!