“Action is the fundamental key to succeeding in life. Create your plan and then whether you are ready or not, put this plan into action.”
“There is absolutely nothing that increases a person’s chances at success more than TAKING ACTION.”
Sound familiar?
It should because these pearls of wisdom are taken directly from the volumes of advice readily available online to help you achieve goals, manage change, or overcome adversity in its many different forms.
The focus is nearly always aimed at two key areas – planning and taking action.
As important as these steps are to any process, there is one undervalued and often overlooked element to achieving anything: willingness.
No matter how masterful the plan, or how much energy is aimed at accomplishing a goal, pretty much everything is a little harder and takes a little longer than we think or hope it will.
There will always be a few surprises, unexpected speedbumps, and detours along the way. Maybe more than a few depending upon what you’re trying to achieve.
The question is how willing are you to keep going despite the challenges?
How willing are you to keep doing the work, making sacrifices, pushing through uncertainty, exhaustion, and self-doubt?
Whatever you want to accomplish in life, the level of your willingness to pay the price is the key to your success.
The Nature of Willingness
Willingness is the state of being ready and willing to do something, but more than that it opens the door to possibilities and creates space in your mind and heart.
A willing heart says I am not only committed to doing the work and making the sacrifices necessary to achieve my goal (or overcome my problems), I intend to grow stronger and more resilient as a result of this experience.
Willingness opens the door to:
- Consider other viewpoints and beliefs.
- Admit you need help.
- Pursue a dream despite the odds.
- Try new things outside your comfort zone.
- Say yes to life more than you say no.
- Recognize when something isn’t working.
- Overcome fear and discomfort to ask for what you want.
Take change for example.
If you ask, almost everyone will agree that they are open to growth and things changing for the better.
But when it comes right down to the work and sacrifice, very few are willing to persevere once they experience the first sign of discomfort.
Of course, sometimes we have little choice in the matter.
I think we can all agree that our level of willingness to change, sacrifice, and persevere has surely been tested on our collective journey through the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the reality is right now, in this weird in-between stage, willingness has never been more important.
The vaccines developed to combat the virus have provided us with a light at the end of the tunnel, but life will not return to the way it used to be any time soon – if ever.
Many things we once took for granted have changed, or disappeared entirely, but rather than mourn what no longer is, we can create new norms and discover opportunities that we could never have otherwise imagined.
It’s up to us to be willing to accept the challenge.
What prevents most people from achieving goals is simply a lack of willingness; willingness to pay the price, to make a great effort, to sacrifice comfort to accomplish those goals.
~Orison Marden
The Takeaway
The importance of willingness applies to every area of your life.
Whether you have a problem to solve, want to set (or break) a habit, or have been longing to muster the courage to pursue a dream goal, willingness is the key to achieving your best possible outcome.
Willingness opens the doors to knowledge, direction, and endless possibilities.
What are you willing to let into your life?
Will you be the passenger or the driver in your life journey?
About Marquita Herald
Marquita is an author, resilience coach, and founder of Emotionally Resilient Living. She’s also an unapologetic workaholic who loves red wine, rock n’ roll, road trips (and car dancing!), peanut butter cookies, and (especially) a dog named Lucy.
She’s saddened and frustrated by excuses and cruelty and believes authentic compassion is the most powerful force in the world.
To learn more about Marquita and the mission of Emotionally Resilient Living Start Here.
