Success Advice

5 Ways To Stop Consuming And Start Producing

Published

8 years ago

Sep 20, 2015

5 Ways To Stop Consuming And Start Producing

Click, click, click. You go through a number of websites, absorbing as much as you can about a topic. Before you know it, hours pass and you’re still reading article after article.The problem is: You haven’t actually done anything. Sound familiar?

I used to do this for hours at a time. I would research on a topic, whether it was on exercise, writing, or even how to become productive, but nothing would get done. I would take in a lot of information, but none of it seemed to help.

Doing of an analysis of what we’re supposed to do is often a way of making ourselves feel productive. It seems as if we’re doing something to reach our goals. But there’s a difference between being busy and productive.

Busy means performing tasks that may or may not produce results, while being productive is when you take concrete steps to achieve a goal.

Consuming information rather than doing something is a way of putting off what we know we should be doing. Postponing what’s important masks our deep-rooted fears, whether they include fear of change, fear of failure, or even a fear that we may become successful.

But if you go through each of these 5 steps, you’ll find it a lot easier to start taking steps towards what you want to achieve:

1. Stop obsessing over minutiae

We’re bombarded with decisions all the time. From the moment we wake up, we have to decide what to wear, what to eat, and what we need to do. And that’s before any real work gets done!

Every day, you’re faced with a range of small to big decisions to make. It’s important that you differentiate between the two in order to set priorities. For example, deciding what to eat for breakfast is a small decision, while considering whether to leave your job is a large decision.

At first, it sounds obvious that we should be putting more energy into critical decisions that may impact us for years to come. But surprisingly, it can be tempting to obsess over insignificant details and choices, which takes up the finite energy we have for more critical decisions.

So instead, plan ahead of time for the smaller details of your day so that you can think more clearly when it comes to big decisions.

2. Know that things don’t have to be perfect

It’s easy to keep yourself from starting anything by telling yourself, “It’s not the right time”, or “I just need to get this one thing before I can start working towards my goal.”

But the truth is, now is the best time to get started on your goals. Things will never be perfect. And if you keep waiting until you are in the perfect situation, what if that moment never arrives?

Waiting until later can mean increased responsibilities, whether it’s finances, family, or whatever life decides to throw at you. So instead of stalling and waiting for an opportune moment, a better way to approach your goal is to think: What is one small task I can do today that will get me closer to what I can to achieve?

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle

3. Set a deadline

There’s a difference between urgent and important. Sometimes, what’s important to us isn’t necessarily urgent. This might include your desire to write a book, get into shape, or start a business.

We don’t feel a need to do any of these immediately because no one’s pushing us to do so and nothing bad will happen if we choose not to. Unfortunately, the nature of these things makes them easy to put off until later.

Instead, create a sense of self-inflicted urgency. Make something that is important, urgent as well, so that you feel compelled to do something about it. For example, if you’re looking to get into shape and haven’t exercised in months, just set a simple task. Your simple task could be to stretch in front of the TV by tonight or to go on a walk by the end of the week.

The deadline should be sometime close, and the task should be simple enough that it’s hard to make excuses.

4. Take a small step each day

You’ve probably heard of the term “overnight success”. You know, the people who went from nothing to instant riches and fame. It seems as if those individuals were chosen from obscurity to become successful.

However, what you don’t see underneath is all the years of work and dedication it took to get there. As billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban says, “Everyone tells you how they are going to be special, but few do the work to get there. Do the work.” He didn’t become successful overnight. It took years of work, experimenting and failing, in order to get where he and other successful people are today.

And doing the work starts with just doing one thing right now.

5. Quit over planning

When people first set out to accomplish something, they soon find themselves overwhelmed with all sorts of information. How do I set this up? What if there’s nobody interested in my product? It worked for him, but it might not work for me…

A number of reasons begin to pop up in our heads about why we can’t do something. We plan ahead in our minds about all the problems that are likely to pop up, before we’ve even done anything yet.

So the first thing to keep in mind is, stop planning out everything. It’s good to know where you’re headed, but also realize that when obstacles do come up, you’ll deal with them when the time comes.

“If you feel like there’s something out there that you’re supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.” – Wanda Sykes

I believe that success is something you acquire gradually, each and every single day. The more work you put into your craft, the more you’ll get out of it. All you need is the courage to know that the road to success is in front of you, if you’re willing to travel on it.

Thank you for reading my article! What’s keeping you from reaching your goals?

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Melissa Chu is the founder of Jumpstart Your Dream Life, where she helps people get productive and incorporate positive habits into their everyday lives. You can download the guide that shows you how to achieve your goals (without giving up).

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Your life is dictated by beliefs and biases that drive your thinking, behaviors, and decisions

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There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity

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Jamelle Sanders

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In just a few weeks, we will be wrapping up 2023. Can you believe it? This year has been absolutely incredible for me.

I have seen amazing doors opened, new relationships formed and I am seeing dreams realized in my life. While this seems like the hallmarks of a great year, this has also been the most challenging year of my life. With all of the change happening in my life, I have been forced out of my comfort zone and challenged to grow in every area of my life.

I can truly say that I have made the most of my moments this year and I have used everything as a catalyst for maximizing my greatest potential.

As a revolutionary leader, I have the pleasure of consulting and advising leaders around the world to fulfill purpose, realize their greatest potential and make an impact.

I want to share some insights with you that will help you to break cycles of mediocrity and manifest your greatness.

Everything legal must come through the matrix

I am sure that some of you are wondering why I am using the term matrix. However, what you have to understand is that I am trying to make a highly complex spiritual principle practical to understand.

Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, every life has an origin and I believe that origin is divine and begins with eternity. You are birthed from eternity and into time to fulfill a unique purpose and assignment in your lifetime and generation.

The matrix is simply the portal or vehicle that brings something out of the invisible realm and into tangible form. The problem with much of the teaching today is that it excludes the matrix. We are told to believe that success is instantaneous and overnight.

Nobody talks about how a dream progresses through stages beginning with visualization and ultimately culminating in manifestation. Without a matrix or portal then everything that you attempt to birth and build will be illegal.

The matrix not only makes you legal but it gives you the authority and power to function as the greatest expression of who you were created to be.

Every matrix has an incubation process

While many people admire and respect me today, I remember a time when nobody knew who I was or the significance of my message. How did I get to where I am today? I got here through an incubation process.

In other words, everything that has been destined for your life is incubating and awaiting a set time of manifestation. The problem is that most people live their entire lives idle and never initiate the incubation process.

What do I meany by that? Most people are living reckless and very few people are living intentionally. I am amazed at the number of people I have conversations with that have no vision, goals or strategies for their lives. They show great promise and they have undeniable potential.

However, without development they will die with their dreams still in them.

Everything that has been destined for your life must be incubated and converted to become realities born to time.

“Visualize this thing that you want, see it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin to build.” – Robert Collier

You must give expression to that which is not yet born to time

When you think about a matrix or a prophetic incubation process, you have to understand that potential is often unrealized and untapped. In other words, your potential is in raw form and your potential cannot serve you as long as it is untapped.

The thing that makes me valuable is that I have the ability to convert potential into power. I have done it in my own life and I have empowered leaders around the world to do the same. How do you convert potential into power?

First, it is important to note that you have to perceive potential. If you cannot perceive your potential then you can never cultivate your potential. In addition, you must take the time to cultivate your potential. We often get excited about our capabilities; however, we never expand our capacity in order to realize our greatest potential.

In other words, the strength of your potential is only discovered through your willingness to stretch. The more we are challenged the more we are empowered to expand our capacity for greatness. Most of all, you must begin to express your potential. The expression of potential is different for every person.

For example, the expression of my potential is best demonstrated through the thoughts, ideas, products, services, books, etc.

For another person the expression of potential may look like a screenplay, artwork, sports, scientific discoveries, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Regardless of the form of expression, I know that you will live empty and unfulfilled until you make the decision to express your potential. The expression of your potential gives voice to your dreams, life to your vision, significance to your moments and activates your true power.

You must manifest your greatness

As a revolutionary thinker and leader, my work has impacted people around the world. I am grateful that my life is a source of empowerment to so many people. However, before anyone could ever benefit from my life, I had to make a non-negotiable decision to become who I was born to be.

I wish I could tell you that this journey is easy and that you will get there overnight. However, in a world that celebrates us for doing we are often criticized for being. As a result, I wasted a lot of time trying to be who other people wanted me to be instead of being who I was born to be.

There is no greatness without becoming and there is no becoming with authenticity. It is through our bravery to be vulnerable that we ultimately manifest our greatness. We do not bless the world by being a duplicate. We bless the world when we honor our difference. When you honor your difference you honor your potential.

Ultimately, your difference is how you manifest your greatness.

When you present anything but your authentic self to the world, you are playing small and you are robbing the world of your significance. Manifesting your greatness requires you to master your gifts.

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