Wednesday, December 26, 2007

A LITTLE EQUATION THAT CREATES BIG RESULTS by Chris Widener

"The purpose of man is in action not thought." - Thomas Carlyle

Often people will ask me how I get so much done in my life. They
wonder at how I am able to accomplish so many things. The answer is
found not in what a great person I am, but in an equation I came up
with a few years ago and remind myself of on almost a daily basis.
And when I live this equation out, it produces big results. What
people don't seem to grasp is that this equation will work for
anybody! Anyone can see results in their life if they will live it
out!

This little equation, when it is understood, and acted upon, is
perhaps the most powerful equation there is in regard to long-term
achievement and accomplishment. Yet, this is not a complex equation.
In fact, it is rather simple. So what is it?

Your short-term actions multiplied by time equals your long-term
accomplishments.

If you want to see change in your life, see big results, the first
thing you must do is change your current actions. Otherwise the old
saying becomes a reality: "If you always do what you've always done,
you'll always get what you always got!" But if we change our actions,
we will see different results!

Most people want to accomplish a lot in their lives. Yet very few
actually do. Why is this? It is because what they believe will equal
their long-term accomplishments are wrong. Here are some of the
things that people believe will create great accomplishments for
them:

Beliefs
Vision
Big dreams
Ideas
Ideals
Values
Desire
The truth is that while these things are very important, they are not
enough in and of themselves. We need to have the above underlying all
that we do, but we need to actually do something! And this is where
most people stop. We need to take action on our dreams and beliefs
every day.
Here are some examples of how this works.

Who loses weight? The one who knows all about the benefits of
exercise or the one who walks 3 miles a day?
Who retires early? The one who dreams of a house on the beach, or the
one who invests $300 a month?
Who writes books? The one who desires to become a best-selling
author, or the one who gets up early and writes for half an hour a
day?
Who has the best marital relationship? The one who knows how much
spending time with their spouse can improve their relationship, or
the one who sits down and talks with their spouse every night?
Who makes the most sales? The one who believes they can become a
great salesperson, or the one who makes 10 sales calls a day?
I think you get the point. When it all comes down to it, we must act
upon our vision, beliefs, and ideals or we won't see them come to
fruition. I see too many people who know what is right, but don't
ever do anything about it. Imagine what a difference we could make in
our own lives and the lives of others if we would simply begin to act
upon on our beliefs!
When I get to the end of my life, I want to know that I have done all
that I can to make this world a better place and to enhance the lives
of those around me. I want to know that I gave it my best shot. And I
am sure that you do to.

I remember reading an interview with an author who has written
numerous books that have sold in the tens of millions. They asked him
how he did it. His answer was that he got up every morning before
anyone else in his family and wrote, long hand, with a pencil, for an
hour. Then he quit and went about his day. But his short-term actions
piled up. Seven hours a week...30 hours a month...365 hours a year.
After a while, he had lots of books!

Some questions as we leave:

What long-term accomplishments do you want to see come to pass?

What short-term actions will you need to do over time to see them
come to pass?

What will you do today to begin seeing your dreams come true?

What will you do this week to see them come true?

You can have an awesome future, filled with great achievements and
results if you begin today to take action and make it a reality!
One more time, so you can plug it in, memorize it, and live it.

Your short-term actions multiplied by time equals your long-term
accomplishments.