By: Douglas J Utberg

Most people are aware of great deals and tremendous opportunities that people they know have seen or experienced throughout their lifetime.  All of these phenomenal deals share one key characteristic in common . . . somebody took action so that the opportunity could be turned into reality.  This willingness to act is what separates great achievers from the average person.

Conversely, a psychological paralysis grips many people and freezes them into stalling, waiting, and preparing until the opportunity to act has passed.  At this point, many people will begin to create justifications for their decision to avoid action.  This gives us a sense of satisfaction since we avoided what could have been a big mistake.  However, we also avoided what could have been a great opportunity.

The critical skill that high achievers develop is an ability to quickly determine which deals have the highest probability of success, and then to take action on those opportunities that are favorable.  This sounds simple, but it is surprisingly difficult to carry out in the world of reality.  Most of us gather information, get ready to act, then stall . . . and stall some more until the opportunity has passed.

The curious thing about taking action to create success is that it is not a one-time deal.  Most people who achieve high levels of success did not do so because of one single decision.  By and large, success is the result of consistently making wise decisions and taking action over an extended period of time.  It is likely that the benefits of your decisions will compound to produce greater results, but the important part is to start the ball of achievement rolling.

The other side of this insight is that we should avoid looking for the ‘one big deal’ that will make so much money that we never need to work again.  Those deals certainly exist, but they are very rare.  A much more consistent strategy for achievement is to start taking action now and remain open to opportunity as you move forward.  Always keep your future vision in sight, but focus on the next step that you will be taking now.

In the end, Aesop’s words will unfortunately ring true for most people.  However, they do not need to be a description of your life.  By finding opportunity, making wise decisions, and taking action you can consistently build achievements until a temple of success has been constructed for you and your posterity.