The art of getting off your ass
What do you think is the single most important element to getting things done, living the life you want, and accomplishing goals? It’s ACTION. It’s getting off your ass and going for it!
You can dream, you can talk, and you can plan; but nothing is going to happen until you take that first step. It’s the difference between a sayer and a doer. It’s the difference between change and remaining the same. And most importantly it’s the difference between living your life the way you want and being forced to live it in another way.
Firstly, you need to throw out the many misconceptions that you’ve grown to believe over the years.
Secrets – There are absolutely no secrets that pertain to accomplishing goals, achieving success, or living the life you desire. You know that it takes persistence, patience, hard work, positivity, passion, and focus. Most people just want to deny this fact and rather pursue finding the easy way out.
Time – Time can be very discouraging and can create its own misconceptions. There’s always seemingly overnight success stories that make people believe they can take one step toward success and the next day they’ll be rich and famous. But these stories leave out the parts about all the frustrations and the hard work that went into the successful result. They leave it out because no one wants to read it.
The other common misconception relating to time is that accomplishing goals and change takes a long time. It may seem like a contradiction to what was just stated. It doesn’t happen over night but it needn’t take long either.
Money – I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll keep saying it: you do not need a lot of money to turn your dreams into reality and become successful.
Now that you’ve relinquished yourself of the biggest misconceptions, let’s talk about you getting off your ass.
Questions to ask yourself and answer:
- What’s preventing me from taking action? Is it fear? Embarrassment?
- Is it physically holding me down?
- Who created these barriers?
After you’ve asked yourself these questions; you’ve probably come to an interesting conclusion. YOU are the one preventing yourself from getting off your behind. It’s the fear you’ve created and it’s the embarrassment you think you’ll have to endure. Almost none of these barriers are physically present; you’re just imagining them in your head.
You are your greatest enemy
You are the one who is your toughest critic; your biggest competition; and your greatest enemy. Right now this is preventing you from taking action but once you get going, it’ll beneficial for improving yourself.
Here are some tips that will help you get off your ass and onto your feet.
Figure out what you want to do now; not what you want to do forever
Young people are constantly asked what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Most of them don’t have a single clue; and that’s just fine. A lot of older people don’t either. Our passions and pursuits are always evolving. But to get yourself off your ass now; you need to know what you want to do now.
Perhaps you want to become healthier, go traveling, or become a social entrepreneur. You might not want to do it when your 80 years old but you’re willing and able to do it now.
Stop wishing you could go back in time
Each of us has wished we could go back in time so that we could either start over or strike while the iron was hot. I have wished this with Lyved. If I had started this blog back in 2004 when blogs were just taking off, this site would already be a full time business. I was too busy chasing the get-rich-quick ideas. Thankfully this thought didn’t cross my mind on launch day. It would have certainly have discouraged me and kept me wishing and wasting energy on the shoulda’s, coulda’s, and woulda’s.
You can’t go back in time, but the next best thing is now. To get ahead tomorrow, you need to start today. The clock is ticking.
Tick… tock…
Quit the moanin’, groanin’ and complainin’
You’re wasting so much time complaining that you don’t have any money, life’s unfair, and that you’re unlucky. If you took some of the effort it takes to complain and put it towards something good, you’d be amazed at the results.
I’m sorry to say it but no one really cares what you’re complaining about. If you want something done, you MUST do it yourself.
Tick… tock… The clock hands are still moving.
Turn your frustrations into something beneficial
If you’re complaining then something is frustrating you. The best thing to do is use that frustration to empower you. Difficult times and circumstances can either force someone to give up, if they’re weak; or for the strong, it’ll fuel their fire.
A few things to remember:
- No one is going to rescue you; not even the government.
- YOU are the one who is preventing you from success. And you hold the key to living the life you desire. You just have to unlock the door.
- The clock is ticking. Tick… tock…
The G.O.Y.A. (getting off your ass) Checklist
Before you can get off your ass and onto your feet, there are a few requirements necessary to do so. They aren’t difficult, and anyone can find them; no matter what age, race, or how much you have in your bank account.
[ ] Passion – If you don’t have passion for whatever it is you’re doing, you’re likely to fall right back on your butt.
[ ] Positivity & a sense of humor
[ ] Beneficial friends – You need to have friends who will help you rise when you fall; not ones who are sitting on their own asses.
[ ] A model – Not Tyra Banks or Kate Moss, but someone who has achieved what you want to. Read everything about them, listen to them, and model your mind like theirs. You must retain your own uniqueness as well, never steal ideas, or try to be someone else.
[ ] Knowledge & intrigued – You need to take the time to open yourself and open a book or two. You’re going to learn a lot along the way, but it doesn’t hurt to get your feet wet as well.
[ ] A smile – You’d be surprised at how far it’ll get you.
[ ] Focus
[ ] A strong will
[ ] A past failure – Why? To motivate your ass to never taste defeat like that again.
Photo by Izzard
21 Responses to “The art of getting off your ass”
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I love this! Sometimes we really just need that extra push (this article) to get off our comfortable butt!
I agree with all your points except the one about complaints. I used to be hardcore against complaining… but if you use complaining to let out your frustrations, kind of like a kid has a fit, then you will feel better and get over it faster. Then you can get back to taking real action! Of course this type of complaining is different than what most people do, and it should be taken to the extreme: really put your heart into the whining, cry if you must, and then pick yourself up and put a smile on your face. You’re over it!
Glad you liked it! And you make a great point about complaining. Thanks for your input.
-Andrew
I love this article drewsef.
LOL Thanks Don!
You would think that the value of taking action is a no-brainer, but it seems that many people have no idea of just how powerful they can be if they just begin taking actions toward their goals.
It is truly amazing at how fast you can build something of value.
Action is so powerful that it can be scary because actions generate opportunities that require you to commit. That is another reason why so many people avoid action.
But if you are committed; if you really do want what you say you want, then act on the advice in this article. It really does work, and it really is that simple.
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You’re very right John, action does bring so many more opportunities to you. Gary Player, a golfer; said it best, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
-Andrew
Whoa, so glad I discovered this site. I love it!
Thanks Jennifer! Glad you like it so much. Look forward to seeing you around.
-Andrew
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Finally, a REAL article about what it takes to be successful. As a self-published children’s book author I have been faced with every challenge and closed door you can imagine. I have been frustrated and discouraged countless times, but it has never occurred to me to quit. I refuse to fail. Have you heard that saying, “Winners never quit and quitters never win?” My Mother pushed that on me daily growing up.
You are right, there are no secrets to success. Every day I see TV commercials, hear radio ads and read articles about quick, miracle weight loss. I find it shocking that millions of people buy into the endless gimmicks. In the mean time I live by my humorous mantra “Move Your Ass, and Shut your Pie Hole.” I work out rigorously every day at home and eat healthy foods in healthy volumes. This is guaranteed to work 100% of the time. No pills, no sucking out the fat with surgery, no diets, no special equipment. Hard work, and self-control is the ONLY answer. After a while, it really doesn’t seem like hard work at all.
Thank you for your wise words. I will read them often to remind me that I need to keep on plugging along.
Hey Debbie,
I love this saying “Winners never quit and quitters never win?” and this one too “Move Your Ass, and Shut your Pie Hole.”
I was just thinking the other day how all these fake infomercial products are still bought by millions of people. I guess a lot are in denial and just want to quick way to success.
Glad you liked this article! And thanks for the compliments.
-Andrew
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[...] not, it is time to get off your ass. Andrew at Lyved has a checklist to assist [...]
Hey Andrew,
Great post and what a great blog I must say.
I wish I stumbled this blog earlier, but just as you suggested in this post, I will definitely get off my ass now
Hey Mustafa,
Thanks so much for the compliments! It’s better late than never to have you around
-Andrew
I can’t remember where I heard this, but “It’s time to get busy living or get busy dying.” Even the outlaw Jose Wales chose life.
“Get busy living or get busy dying” is from The Shawshank Redemption. I just watched last week
-Andrew
Sometimes it comes down to….do what?
Wow! Thank you! I always wanted to write in my site something like that. Can I take part of your post to my blog?
Sure! Just link to this site.