Are you a person of action?
It is simply astounding how much information is at our finger tips today. In no other time in history have human beings had such easy access to all sorts of knowledge. And you know what they say. Knowledge is power. But for knowledge to be power, you must use it.
If you’re anything like me, you know how easy it is to suffer from information overload. Sometimes, in an effort to achieve excellence, you get stuck in student mode. Improving your copywriting skills, increasing your marketing prowess, and interacting with your mastermind group are essential to your long-term success. But are you allowing your information intake to stifle your ability to act?
The gap between knowledge and action is wide.
There is a big difference between knowing and doing, and being able to recognize that difference dictates whether or not you will reach your goals. If you are overloading your intellect, and failing to implement what you learn, you will soon find yourself discouraged.
I can tell when my capacity for information is starting to hinder my ability to take action because I lose my sense of urgency. The sense that I must put into action the ideas I’ve captured. Most things require contemplation and planning, but if you find yourself thinking and planning, but not doing…you’re in trouble.
Okay so how do you get out of trouble?
Simple. Restate your objective.
Ask, yourself what you were after to begin with?
Somehow you have lost sight of what you’re trying to accomplish in learning how to accomplish that which you desire. You need to regain your focus.
How to Regain Focus
1. Break up your information into small chunks and concentrate on one chunk at a time.
2. Turn off the Blackberry, phone, radio, television, Twitter or whatever other distraction you think you need to work. Value the power of silence and use it to fuel your focus.
3. Commit yourself to making progress. Envision your future self. The work you do today will lay the foundation for your success to come. Remind yourself of this fact.
Now that you are out of trouble, stay out of trouble.
How to Stay Out of Trouble
I know this is easier said than done, but the key to staying out of trouble is to maintain laser focus on your original objective. To maintain laser focus try the following:
Set boundaries for yourself.
Whether you limit the amount of time you spend in “study” mode, or you limit the number of principles you study in a given time period, you must clearly define how you’re going to spend your time getting smart.
Take notes on how to implement what you’ve learned immediately.
I prefer to take handwritten notes when I read. Then, I review my notes to see how I can apply what I’ve learned and what action steps I can take. Finally, I develop an “implementation plan.” Implementation plans can be simple bullet point lists or 20 step flowchart. Do what works for you. Typically, less is more when it comes to execution so keep it simple.
Set the bar within reach.
You’ve probably heard the quote “Aim for the moon, if you miss you’ll be among the stars.” That is great and all, but truthfully sometimes the moon seems so dang far why bother leaving earth right?
Oftentimes our inaction is induced by a subconscious feeling of overwhelm. We look at our big goals, big hopes, and big dreams…and then we go take a big nap. It is vital to have a vision, but start where you can see the next step. The rest will follow naturally. Don’t try to master marketing in a week. It’s not going to happen. Instead, say this week I’m going to study writing headlines for my marketing materials. Give yourself time to absorb the information and then spend the following week just writing headlines for your swipe file. Take this approach and you’ll be far less likely to lose focus.
Discover your Kryptonite.
We all have things that kill our productivity. Try to figure out what those things are for you. For me, it’s a mega long to-do list. Just looking at everything on my plate will put me in a paralyzed state. I don’t do this anymore. Now, I create a master to-do list and then I break it down into small bits. Every day I pick my highest priority tasks from that to-do list and I rewrite them on a post-it note. For that day, that is my to-do list. It feels so awesome to cross things off my little list, and it feels even better when I throw that little list away! Then, I get to do it all over again the next day. Positive reinforcement works wonders on our psyche. Figure out what puts the kibosh on your fire and get rid of it.
Bottom-line: Do like Nike says. Just do it.
Get off your hiney. Stop the excuses. Make it happen. You are your own magic lamp…maybe you just need to rub yourself. 
