We all have goals and ambitions, but often times we either get sidetracked or stuck in the planning phase and never make it to the execution. We wait for the “perfect” moment that may never come, or talk ourselves out of taking action because we're afraid of failure. It’s time to stop waiting and start doing! 

The Fear of Failure
When we don’t take risks, we don’t face failure. The fear of failure can be paralyzing and keep us from taking action on our goals. Many successful people attribute their success to failing many times before they succeeded. The key is to learn from our failures and use them as a learning opportunity rather than letting them define us or our future actions. And remember, all successes were nearly failures at one point in time.

Take Action Now
John D. Rockefeller was once quoted as saying, "Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great." Waiting for the perfect moment can be a form of procrastination; instead, you should focus on taking action today. Taking small steps towards your goals helps you build momentum as well as gives you confidence that you can do it. Each step forward helps increase your motivation and encourages you to take additional steps until eventually, you reach your goal. Even when things don’t go as planned, continue striving forward and use those lessons learned to make adjustments along the way.
                                         
Make it Happen
We can spend our whole lives planning or waiting for something else to happen before we take action—but at some point, we must realize that no one is going to do it for us! Successful people understand that if they want something different in their life, they need to make it happen themselves. They realize that nothing will change if they stay in their comfort zone and take small incremental steps instead of taking big leaps towards their goal. As Tim Ferris says, “If you really want something done right—you have to do it yourself!”

Life is too short not to pursue your dreams and ambitions; don't let fear hold you back from achieving great things! Start with small achievable goals, break them down into actionable steps that are manageable for you, and then just do it! Don't wait around for someone else or something else—make it happen yourself today! And if you're worried about making mistakes, don't worry about making mistakes along the way—they're part of the process. So what are you waiting for? Get started now and chase after your dreams! You won't regret it in the end. And remember, your capacity is far greater than you can imagine!

Let's Go!

What are you willing to do to achieve your goals?
 
While we all answer this question differently, there are common denominators those who achieve at the highest levels share when answering them. Two of those common denominators are Commitment and Discipline.
 
Let’s explore each.
 
Commitment
The other day, I was in an Uber on my way home from work when the driver and I struck a conversation about what we do for living. During our conversation, he told me that while he was a Lyft and Uber driver, he aspired to become a software engineer. He also went on and told me that it would never happen because he didn’t have the time to gain the education needed for this profession. 
 
As I listened, I couldn’t move past what he said about not having the time, so I asked him, “what time do you go to bed?” He said, “really late, usually around 1 AM.”

“OK”, I responded, “what time do you wake up?”

“Around noon,” he said.
 
While he’s explaining his sleep schedule, the wheels are turning and I’m doing the math in my head. That’s roughly 11 hours of sleep.

“Out of curiosity Jamal, how old are you?”

“29” he replied with enthusiasm.

“29!” I exclaimed. “Jamal, you don’t need any more than four hours of sleep at 29. That means you have seven hours each day that you could spend pursuing your dream if you’re willing to commit to it and make the sacrifice.”
 
Jamal chuckled and scoffed at the notion of getting only four hours of sleep because, in his own words, he loves sleep too much to get up earlier than he does. And there it is...
 
Jamal is not alone. In fact, he’s probably like most people who have dreams or aspirations, but haven’t reached the conclusion of what it takes to achieve them and succeed. It’s not that Jamal doesn’t have the time, he’s just not willing to make the commitment that his dreams and aspirations require. Are you?
 
Discipline
"Success is easy," said no one.
 
Most people think success comes from good luck or enormous tallent, but many successful people achieve their accomplishments in a simpler way: through self-discipline.
 
One of my favorite books on this subject is Brian Tracy’s No Excuses: The Power of Self-Discipline. 
 
This book is written for the ambitious, determined men and women who want to achieve everything that is possible for them in life. It is written for people who are ‘hungry’ to do more, to have more, and to be more than they have ever been before. 
 
The most important success principle of all was stated by Elbert Hubbard, one of the most prolific writers in American history, at the beginning of the 20th century. He said, “Self-discipline is the ability to do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not.” 
 
Self-discipline is the key to personal greatness. It is the magic quality that opens all doors for you and makes everything else possible. With self-discipline, the average person can rise as far and as fast as his talents and intelligence can take him. But without self-discipline, the person with every blessing or background, education, and opportunity will seldom rise above mediocrity.
 
The common denominator of success is that “successful people” make a habit of doing the things that unsuccessful people don’t like to do. And it turns out that the things that successful people don’t like to do are the same things that failures don’t like to do either. But successful people do them anyway because they know this is the price they have to pay if they want to enjoy greater success and rewards in the future.
 
One of the items people don’t like to do is spend time on personal and professional development. Dee Hock, founder and former CEO of Visa advocated investing the biggest portion of your time (at least 40%) to managing yourself. That means investing in the development of YOU.
 
I have a wife and two beautiful little girls - both under the age of three - who all need me for different reasons, so the only way I can remain committed to my own personal and professional development, and to them, is to wake up at 4:32 AM, which is exactly two hours before they wake up. It’s my time to read, write and workout - all things that sharpen my “spear” and help me achieve my success.
 
Do I like waking up at 4:32 AM? Absolutely not, but I remind myself of Sir Isaac Newton’s 1st Law of Motion: A body at rest, stays at rest while a body in motion, stays in motion. Often, a 4:32 AM wake-up call means four hours of sleep or less, so it’s a grind to get out of bed when the alarm goes off and hits me in the head like a jackhammer, but that’s where the self-discipline comes into play. Getting out of bed and to the gym before 5 AM is my first victory of the day and it's the first step towards MY success.
 
You see, I subscribe to the idea that things get better when we get better. Waking up at 4:32 AM, so I can get to the gym clears my mind, sets me up to face anything the day throws at me and is an investment into my personal and professional development.
 
To be successful, or to reach peak performance, you must first commit – commit to yourself and to your cause(s) – then, you must maintain the level of self-discipline your commitment and cause require. If you do, you will surely achieve YOUR success.
 
Be Great!
 
Nathan

What does the #3 World's Most Admired Companies, the #18 Fortune 500 Company and the #44 Global 500 Company have in common? Everything! Because they are the same company: Amazon.

Whether you work for a company as an employee, manage a team within a company or run a business as an owner or an executive, we could all learn a thing or two about how we manage "our business" by reading through and appreciating Amazon's Leadership Principles as shared by an Amazon insider below.

Whether you are an individual contributor or the manager of a large team, you are an Amazon leader. These are our leadership principles and every Amazonian is guided by these principles.

Customer Obsession
Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.

Ownership
Leaders are owners. They think long term and don’t sacrifice long-term value for short-term results. They act on behalf of the entire company, beyond just their own team. They never say “that’s not my job."

Invent and Simplify
Leaders expect and require innovation and invention from their teams and always find ways to simplify. They are externally aware, look for new ideas from everywhere, and are not limited by “not invented here." As we do new things, we accept that we may be misunderstood for long periods of time.

Are Right, A Lot
Leaders are right a lot. They have strong business judgment and good instincts.

Hire and Develop the Best
Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others.

Insist on the Highest Standards
Leaders have relentlessly high standards - many people may think these standards are unreasonably high. Leaders are continually raising the bar and driving their teams to deliver high quality products, services and processes. Leaders ensure that defects do not get sent down the line and that problems are fixed so they stay fixed.

Think Big
Thinking small is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leaders create and communicate a bold direction that inspires results. They think differently and look around corners for ways to serve customers.

Bias for Action
Speed matters in business. Many decisions and actions are reversible and do not need extensive study. We value calculated risk taking.

Frugality
We try not to spend money on things that don’t matter to customers. Frugality breeds resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention. There are no extra points for headcount, budget size, or fixed expense.

Vocally Self Critical
Leaders do not believe their or their team’s body odor smells of perfume. Leaders come forward with problems or information, even when doing so is awkward or embarrassing. Leaders benchmark themselves and their teams against the best.

Earn Trust of Others
Leaders are sincerely open-minded, genuinely listen, and are willing to examine their strongest convictions with humility.

Dive Deep
Leaders operate at all levels, stay connected to the details, and audit frequently. No task is beneath them.

Have Backbone; Disagree and Commit
Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake of social cohesion. Once a decision is determined, they commit wholly.

Deliver Results
Leaders focus on the key inputs for their business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion. Despite setbacks, they rise to the occasion and never settle.

So there you have it. The Leadership Principles from one of the greatest businesses on the planet. What are you waiting for? It's time to get to work!

Be Great!
Nathan