JUST DO IT

Take that baby step. Just do it!

We have gotten to an essential part of the Revelations of Progress series. This is what crowns everything. This is the post on how to take the first step.

Many are those who have dreams. Many are those who have brilliant ideas but few are those who manifest great ideas in the form of great products. Many are those who wish but few are those who get. In many cases the differentiation principle is that those who actually progress take real steps to manifest their dreams and aspirations. So what is this action? You might have been told many times to take action but you were probably never told how to take that action in ABC terms. How can you begin to take the first step? What do you need? Let me tell you a story:

A story is told of a couple who saw the opportunity to solve the problem of accommodation in a certain tourism area in Ghana. As a result they conceived and visualized a hotel with so many luxury rooms; something like a 5 star hotel.

But there were many obstacles. They needed so much money to start; money to buy a land, money to construct and furnish a building of so many rooms. There was also the problem of getting skilled labor around. This was an area with no stable telecommunication and internet connection.  An area with erratic water supply. On the other the capital available could barely buy a land big enough for a hotel that size. What I have said is even an understatement. Their back was virtually against the wall. They had every reason to ditch that idea and just move on with their lives but they didn’t.

Do you know what they did? They used their available resources to buy a small land (2 plots) on which they built a two-room guest house that shared a bathroom with no restaurant. Remember, this was still a remote area with all the inconveniences like little or no telecommunication and internet connection. Within a year or so they had added five self-contained rooms on the same land. This time around with a bar and restaurant. This came with all the challenges of starting a business for the first time. There were tough times. To cut a long a short story short, within a space of about eight years they bought a bigger land and the hotel now has 24 rooms and counting with great bar and restaurant services. This is a true story. The name of the hotel is Water Heights Hotel in Wli where the highest waterfall in West Africa is located. It's about 15 minutes drive from mountain Afadagto, the highest mountain in Ghana. The next time you want to take a break, pass by the Water Heights Hotel for an Uncompromising Personalized Customer service.

Now, from our story you would realize that this couple didn’t have all it took a start the business. It was as though the whole world was against them. They didn’t have the capital or the expertise. You don’t need a perfect condition to take your first step. As a matter of fact you will never have perfect conditions. The only way you will create a perfect condition is when you make your first move. First moves are always accompanied with lessons. Once you get the vision, see the opportunity, have the conviction and have a glimpse of the stairs, make your move.

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step – Martin Luther King Jr.

The couple in our story didn’t just get up to build a five star hotel. In fact they haven’t built a five star hotel yet. You don’t necessarily need to make a quantum leap. All you need is that little baby step. Register that business name. Write the first word to that story. Get your first client. Register for that course. Write that proposal. Tell someone about your crazy idea. Be confused. Make the mistakes. Learn your lessons. Get better. No step is too small as long as you keep moving forward. Just do it!

If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever  you do, you have to keep moving forward – Martin Luther King Jr.

Don’t postpone it to tomorrow. Tell that special person you love her now. Act out that heart desire right now. Show your parents all the love they need right now. Talk to that friend now. Spend time together now. Take that step that you need to take in every area of your life right now because ladies and gentlemen, there are only so many tomorrows.

The truth is that there are no guarantees when you take your first step; you can either fail or succeed. However, if you don’t take that step, there is the guarantee that you will be at the same place you were yesterday. How would you know whether you could have done it or not if you didn’t try? I'm not saying it's easy or it's going to be easy. It's hard to act. It takes courage to act.

If you don’t act, If you don’t take that step, you will never realize that desired outcome. It is said that you can’t climb the ladder of success with your hands in your pocket. Conditions may not be perfect. You might not have it all together. Notwithstanding, start right from where you are with what you have and take that little baby step to take you closer to your dreams every day. Just do it!