What's stopping you from taking action?

Episode 10 of Part 1 of our Introduction series: Setting the stage for success.

Habits: Action oriented | Little and regular

Skills: Action | Facing fear

Description: This episode introduces three possible barriers that might be preventing you from taking action on the things you want to achieve (your goals). We ask, do you know what you want? Are you aiming for something that others want you to want? Or, do you no longer want something you used to want? All three might be standing in the way of you taking action.

Suggested student exercise

Do you truly want this goal?

Ask students to write one goal which they’re not acting on as much as you could.

Then, read the following statements under each heading to your students. For each, ask them to think about the goal they’re not acting on and, answer each question with a yes or no.

Choosing goals because you’re unsure of what else to aim for

Does the thought of removing this goal make me feel lost?

Is my main motivation for wanting this goal fear or confusion?

Are there no (or few) really good reasons for me to want this goal?

Did I choose this goal during a time when I felt panicky or anxious?

Would removing this goal force me to do some soul-searching that I've been avoiding?

Note: A lot of 'yes' answers may indicate that you’re not sure of why you want this goal. If you've selected 'yes' a lot, don’t worry, just keep working on the 'My passion journal' exercise to help you discover your interests and see if that helps you to find something you can really strive for.

Choosing a goal because others want me to

Do you think you should want this?

Are you concerned that others will think of you differently if you didn’t want this?

Do you believe that other people approve of you wanting this?

Does one of your role models / friends / experts advise wanting this?

Does one of your role models / friends / experts want this themselves?

Was this goal given or assigned to you by someone else?

Note: A lot of YES answers indicates that you’re choosing your goal to please others. Take a closer look to determine if this goal is something that YOU want for yourself. If it is, great. If not, don’t worry, our upcoming episodes on passion will help you work towards finding a goal that really fits you.

Choosing this goal because you used to want it

Does the thought of removing this goal make you feel lost?

Is your primary motivation for wanting this goal fear or confusion?

Do you lack resonant reasons for wanting this goal?

Did you select this goal during a time when I was feeling panicky or anxious?

Would removing this goal require you to do some soul-searching or reassessments that you’ve been avoiding?

A lot of YES answers indicates that you might be choosing your goal based on what you used to want, rather than what you want now. Take a closer look to determine if this goal is something that you STILL want for yourself. If it is, great. If not, don’t worry, upcoming episodes on passion will help you work towards finding a goal that really fits you.

How this lesson might be applied in the classroom

This episode covers three possible barriers to taking action on goals:

Not knowing what you want – you simply don't have a goal defined to take action on.
Aiming for something that others want you to want – you have a goal, but it's not your own. It's something that someone else has suggested (or pushed) for you.
You no longer really want something – the goal you were seeking is no longer appealing to you.

Given the importance of setting goals in leading to future achievement, it is important to be sure that the goal being chased is actually something you want. Scrutinising your goals against these two criteria may help you to create goals that are more meaningful, and therefore make taking action easier.

Possible discussion questions include:

Do you have a goal (or many goals) that you're struggling to take action on?
Do you have some ideas on why you're not taking action on it?
Are you confident it is the right goal for you?
Is it a goal that you think someone else is more passionate about than you are?
Is it something you used to want but no longer feel drawn to?
Is there something else you'd prefer to put your time and effort into?
Are you finding your goal harder to pursue at the moment – but you still really want to achieve it?

Some specific discussion points

Focusing on individuals who have failed to take action, or who have struggled through adversity to achieve might allow this topic to come alive. Consider Albert Einstein or Thomas Edison, working tirelessly to achieve their goals. What was it that kept them going?

Can you think of anyone who had to overcome lots of setbacks to achieve their goals?
In thinking about this person, consider the three barriers outlined in todays episode in relation to them:
- Were they clear about what they wanted to achieve?
- Did they want to achieve it, or did someone else want it for them?
- Why do you think they were able to stay focused for so long on their goal without losing interest?
What could you learn from this person in relation to achieving your own goals?
Do you know anyone who is working hard on something they don't really want for themselves?
Do they have another goal they would prefer to be working towards?
If you were in their shoes, what do you think you would do?

Discussing the quote from this episode:

"When you discover your mission, you will feel its demand. It will fill you with enthusiasm and a burning desire to get to work on it." — W. Clement Stone

Possible areas of discussion may include:

Do you think that with the right 'mission' you'll be drawn to get to work?
Can you imagine anything that would draw you to take action? What is it? Why would it cause you to want to 'get to work'?
What does enthusiasm have to do with taking action?
Have you ever had the experience of having a 'burning desire to get to work' on anything?
How did you feel when working on that type of 'mission'?

Please let us know how we could improve this episode?

We're always keen to hear how our work can be improved. If you can think of anything we can do to improve either the delivery of our content, the content itself, the exercises, or our guides to how the lesson can be applied in the classroom, please let us know.