Jack Canfield argues that thinking alone doesn't work; you need action. He teaches the Rule of Five: do five goal-related actions daily. He uses a hundred-dollar-bill exercise to show that people who act get results, and connects this to the Law of Attraction by asking, believing, and creating a vibrational match.
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John Ruskin
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Hi there, I'm Jack Canfield, and today I want to talk to you about the importance of taking action. You notice an enduring axiom of success that says the universe rewards action, not thought. Now obviously it's important to think, but what really makes the rubber hit the road and produces a result are the actions you take. And yet, as simple as this principle seems, is surprising how many people get bogged down in the analyzing, the planning, the organizing stages, when what they really need to do is simply get into action. Now, when you take action, not only do additional resources come your way, but you get feedback that helps you adjust your course and refine your approach. In my seminars, I conduct a very illustrative exercise. I'll hold up a hundred dollar bill and I'll ask the participants if anyone would like to have it. I'll say, who would like this $100 bill? Then I just stand there and eventually someone gets it. They'll get up and they'll come running toward the front of the room and they'll pluck the hundred dollar bill out of my hand while the rest of the people just sit there. And then I tell the audience that they too could have been the one that got the money if only they'd taken action. Now the truth is, while most of us know about earning money, making things happen and bringing about change in the world, only a surprising few get to have all the abundance, all the glory and all the satisfaction that this world has to offer simply because they are the select few who consistently take action. Taking action is the one thing, the most important thing that separates winners from non winners, the haves from the have nots, the high achievers from the everyday people. Or perhaps you've watched as a coworker launched a new project that included your ideas, only to realize that you stood by while you could have taken action. Now the simple fact remains that in life we are not rewarded for what we know, but for what we do. Of course, many people don't take action because they are fearful of the consequences. Perhaps they think and feel they don't have permission. Or perhaps they're more afraid of failure than they are of success. Successful people, on the other hand, realize that failure is an important part of the learning process. They know that failure is just the way we learn, by trial and error. Not only do we need to stop being so afraid of failure, we need to be willing to fail. I call this kind of instructive failure failing forward. Simply get started, make mistakes, listen to the feedback correct, and then keep moving, keep moving forward. Toward your goal. Now, of course, one major benefit of taking action is that it's the key factor in putting the Law of Attraction to work in your life as well. You might remember a blockbuster movie called the Secret where a number of other teachers, including myself, talked about attracting what you want into your life. First, you have to ask for what you want. Secondly, you have to believe it will come about. And finally, you have to create a vibrational match or an emotional match in order to receive the results when they come your way. Now, when you're in action, whether it's doing research, connecting with people, finding ways to accomplish a goal, taking the actions that would accomplish that goal, you are sending a powerful signal to the universe that you fully expect and anticipate meeting that goal or enjoying that experience soon. After all, you wouldn't be doing all that work if you didn't expect to be living that new life sometime soon, would you? So a powerful strategy to get you into action and keep you in action is something I call the rule of five. Every day, do five things that will move you closer to your goal. Five concrete action steps. If you're self employed, do five things to grow your business. If you want a promotion at your job, do five things a day to improve your skills and knowledge so you'll be eligible for that next promotion. And even if you accomplish just five things each week, that's more than most people do in a month to achieve their dreams. I'm talking five things a day. Literally, you're going to quantum leap yourself to a whole new level. I can remember back when I was building my speaking career, I would send out five letters a day to school districts and program directors for educational conferences, for teachers and counselors and school administrators. And later, when Chicken Soup for the Soul was published, I would send out five free books a day to companies who could hire me to speak at their next industry event at our sales meeting. Now, I want to leave you with some homework. Practice your five things a day habit, and after three weeks, not only will you have taken major action toward your life goals, you will have developed a new habit of being proactive in creating your future. And so, to hold yourself accountable, go ahead and leave a comment below on five specific things that you'll commit to doing in the next 24 hours that will bring you closer to your goal. So in closing, I'll leave you with one of my favorite success quotes. It's by John Ruskin, who wrote, what we think or what we know or what we believe is in the end of little consequence, and the only consequence is what we do. So make sure you take action. So remember, without action, nothing happens. So to help you get into action, I want to invite you to tune into my your Extraordinary Life Plan webcast, which will teach you how to set and accomplish your biggest goals and create the life you want. I'll teach you how to create awareness for where you want to go, so see the big picture and create an action plan to get there. If this sounds like something you'd like, click to sign up for the webcast. Thank you for watching. And remember, nothing will change for the better until you do. Now, if you found this video helpful, make sure you like it, share it with a friend who may need it, and subscribe to my channel for more videos like this one. And for some additional resources on taking action, make sure to visit my website@jackcampfield.com.
