As I read that statement in the Dallas airport bookstore, I realized that the one thing that separates a successful person from those less successful is the ability, the desire to take action. Knowledge and skill are not enough.

" The world doesn't pay you for what you know,

it pays you for what you do.."

In my experience as a coach, I've worked with many business owners who have wonderful ideas, fantastic skills and knowledge. But what they don't have is the desire to take everything they know and believe and move forward into action. Instead they hold themselves back, doing one more revision of their website, one more revision of their marketing plan...because once they get it perfect, they know that they'll experience the success they desire. Of course the big question is, when will it be perfect?

How much time do you spend planning and thinking about how to make your business a success? Has your planning kept you from putting yourself out there? Have you used it as an excuse? Does holding yourself back benefit you? Sure. It keeps you safe. Safe from experiencing success or failure. Holding yourself back reinforces your fears and self-doubts.

Don't get me wrong, you must think about your business, plan your course of action, and plan your marketing and growth?.but in the end, all that thinking and planning won't achieve anything if you don't put your plans, your thoughts, your ideas into action. Plans are just ideas until you make them a reality by taking action.

What are some action steps that will help move your plans from ideas to reality?

* Have a vision

* Plan in stages, small steps are easier to achieve

* Visualize yourself, as you'd like to be. Act as if you are already the success you desire

* Continue to educate yourself

* Commit to your desires

* Begin the process now

Don't wait until you have all your marketing materials and website perfect. Begin now! Waiting for perfection assures only one thing and that is that you will continue to wait. Taking action now will bring you valuable experience and insights into what works and what doesn't work for you.

"Planning has its place, but it must be kept in perspective. Some people spend their whole lives waiting for the perfect time to do something. There's rarely a "perfect" time to do anything. What is important is to just get started. Get in the Game!" -Jack Canfield

What if you make some mistakes? What if you don't experience the results you desire? Great! Take that information and use it as a learning opportunity. The information you learn about yourself and your business is invaluable. Mistakes are just opportunities for learning something new.

To truly experience success, you have to be fearless! You have to be willing to make mistakes. To have some things work out in a way you haven't planned; to get embarrassed. To find yourself in a position to learn from the opportunities that are presenting themselves to you. Fear is the one thing that assures that you will hold yourself back. If you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to experience what you've always experienced.

Fear is simply your imagination running the show....it isn't real.

F= Fantasized

E= Experiences

A= Appearing

R= Real

Release your fears. Don't be afraid to take action. You can and should continue to improve your services and materials- just give yourself permission to learn as you go. When you learn from your experiences, when you take action, things happen much quicker.

Get off the sidelines and GET IN THE GAME!

Remember, like anything else, good ideas are only that- good ideas, if we don't take action and get proactive.

Just do it!