Do you often find yourself stuck in a pattern of analysis, constantly looking at hypothetical scenarios without taking action? Indecision is common problem that people face, and the inability to move forward can freeze their progress and have a negative impact on their career. One of the best things that you can do to move forward is to start taking action, even if you are only moving forward one step at a time.


Action Uncovers Possibilities
You can analyze all day long, but it will be impossible to uncover the real possibilities until you start taking action. This principle applies to all areas of your life, including your career. For example, if you are involved in a project with a team at work and you find yourself in the situation of always making suggestions but never implementing anything, then it is likely that the team will become frustrated because no forward progress will be made.

On the other hand, you can develop stronger credibility with your coworkers and managers by showing that you are willing to take action. It is important to assess the situation before moving forward, but sometimes the best analysis can’t happen until you have started taking action on the project.

Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
Many people are scared to take action because they are afraid of failure. So, they limit their progress by analyzing the situation in order to reduce the possibilities of failure. The truth is that failure is inevitable in life, and you can gain some of the best experiences by taking action to see what didn’t work.

If you start taking action, you can always make small adjustments along the way to increase the likelihood of success. Or, you might find yourself in a situation where you need to completely start over, but you have valuable insights that will make the new plan even more effective.

Taking Action Positions You as a Leader
Taking action is a key factor to help you move forward with your career, because other people will naturally follow when you are taking action. More action gives you more opportunity to improve systems, increase productivity, and achieve higher levels of success. Other people are drawn to the employees and managers that are confident in their actions, and you can come out on top if you aren’t scared to get your hands dirty.

Eliminate Regrets
When you take action, you can eliminate regrets in your life and your career. One of the worst feelings is the doubtful “what-if” questions that arise when you missed a potential opportunity. Action will help you to increase the likelihood of success, and you won’t have any doubts or regrets along the way.

At the same time, action makes you an interesting person. If you don’t want to be the boring person in the office, then you need to start taking action to get people to notice what you are doing.

Sometimes getting started is the hardest part, so it is better to look at the first step instead of trying to understand every step of the process. Start moving in the right direction, and you will see that the momentum will carry you to higher levels of success.

Written: January 2015