The First Step to Getting Ahead

“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”_Zig Ziglar

Look closely at the most effective people around you, and you will notice that proaction is a key quality they all possess; they take initiative, they get into action, they take the first step even when they can see the whole stairs.

Truly successful leaders always find a way to start. They begin, despite the presence of uncertainty in the future outcome of their quest. They know that once they get started and keep the momentum up, they can somehow get the help they need. 

While everyone is focused on excuses for why the time isn't right to spring into action, the one destined to win will find reasons to take just one step further in the direction of his/her dreams. 

Now, if I am to point at a living heart who embodies the idea of taking positive action in the midst of insecurity, it’s an amazing visionary named Elon Musk. This adventurous soul courageously started series of revolutionary companies, even though he had real concerns regarding the great risks he was taking. 

But Musk is not one to be hindered by the possibility of failure because he knows that there are no failures in the life of a true winner, only learning experiences. And as a result of his daring attempts, he is now regarded as one of the most resourceful people on the planet. 

Musk deeply understands the insight of the philosopher, Lao Tzu who once said that: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

Today, I want to challenge you to take a lesson from Musk, and get started on the big goal that you have been putting off for years. You can’t continue to delay, for in delay, there is no abundance. And time will never be perfect. 

So man up and take the first step without further ado. Work with the tools you have, and as you proceed, better tools will find their ways to your door. Start by doing what is essential, then proceed to what is possible, and before you realize it, you may end up changing the world as we know it now. 

And Steven Pressfield, the best-selling author of ‘the War of Art’ has some words of advice for you here. He says: “Start before you’re ready.” This is one of the secrets of highly successful people. They start before they feel absolutely ready. They know that a little action can stimulate a great deal of momentum. 

In our frenetic world of constant change, the way to achieving our ambition is to stop the analysis paralysis and get going quickly. This is true whether we want to build a business, write a book, raise a family or rebuild our community.

As written in the book, ‘Just Start,’ by the trio, Leonard Schlesinger, Charles Kiefer, and the veteran journalist Paul Brown, you have to “take action now and learn as you go.” Even if your initial actions create new problems, just make sure you don’t lose the lessons and the opportunities embedded in them.

You see, to get ahead in this life, not only do you have to think ahead, you also need to act ahead. And that means taking positive action sooner, rather than later. Never forget, a great idea implemented today is of more value to the world than a perfect idea that may be implemented tomorrow.