This is a letter from motivational speaker Jeff Keller. You can subscribe to his awesome newsletter - Here's to Your Success! - by following the instructions at the bottom of this post. We'll see you all at the Chicago National Mannatech event this weekend!

Moses

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Start Shoveling!

Shortly after my wife and I moved into our house, there was a large snowfall on the East Coast that left about 30 inches of snow on our front walkway.

The path is about 35 feet, and when I first went out to survey the situation, the task of shoveling it seemed monumental. I immediately thought, "This is going to take
forever!"

I stood there for about 30 seconds looking at what I had to do, feeling more than a bit discouraged. Then, I picked up my shovel and started digging into the snow. I was moving at a pretty good clip and fortunately, the snow was fairly soft. About ten minutes later, I took a short break and noticed that I had made a significant dent in the job. I could actually see significant progress, which gave me the
momentum to get right back at it.

About 30 minutes into the job, I had completed almost half of the walkway. I also surveyed what was left to do, but unlike 30 minutes ago, I could now see the end in sight. This further motivated me to keep shoveling vigorously. About one hour into the job, I had completed the entire walkway! I felt a tremendous surge of energy and was ready to shovel some more. You've probably felt a similar exhilaration after completing a major project. In the end, however, I decided that I had done enough and took a well-deserved rest.

After sitting inside for a few minutes, I realized that the shoveling project had a lot to teach me about the path to achieving our objectives and realizing our cherished dreams.

Most importantly, I realized the importance of starting any project with a head of steam. I'm not a big believer in the often-used phrase, "beginning is winning." In my experience, persevering is winning. However, beginning is the crucial first step if you want to achieve any goal or explore new avenues. It's so important to start energetically, because you can look up after a relatively short period of time and
see progress. That gives you the momentum to keep moving forward.

This isn't to suggest that you should avoid planning and rush into your project with wild abandon. Definitely do your research. But when you do begin, leave the starting blocks strongly and quickly. It's a lot more effective than dipping your toe in the water. When you dive into the water, you feel exhilarated and you're already in motion. When you stick your toe in, you hesitate and tend to remain stationery for long periods of time.

Of course, the worst thing you can do is to keep talking about what you're going to do, while taking no action. Sadly, this is the approach many people take. They are
caught in the trap of "Someday, I'll...." You know how that goes:
Someday, I'll begin the exercise program...
Someday, I'll take a trip to Hawaii...
Someday, I'll go back to school to get my degree...
Someday, I'll write a book...
Someday, I'll do some acting or singing...

"Someday, I'll..." drains your energy and keeps you stuck. How much more effective to pick up the shovel and start shoveling! Thus, instead of talking about exercising, you start exercising. Instead of talking about going back to school, you register for classes. Instead of talking about writing a book, you sit at your computer, develop an outline and start writing.

When you pick up the shovel and start shoveling as soon as you can, you get another benefit. You achieve your objective in less time than you initially thought was possible. Let's say you want to take a trip to Hawaii "some day." You may have had this desire for years. Each time the thought enters your mind, you dwell on all the obstacles in your way. You don't have the time. You don't have the money. So, you file the thought away, hoping you can take the trip "some day."

Here's a better way to make sure you take that trip to Hawaii - and sooner than you think. Today, start investigating the Hawaiian trip as if you were going to be traveling there immediately. Find out the airlines that go there. Check out the air fares, including any special discounts being offered. Go online and check out the hotels or places you could rent during your visit. While online, you could look at pictures of Hawaii and learn all about the islands, which would get you even more excited. You're
shoveling fast and furious now!

Several things will happen as a result of your shoveling. You may find that the trip is more affordable than you originally thought. Or, you might be so excited that you will find a way to earn the extra money you need to pay for the trip. You might even open a "vacation account" at the bank and start putting away funds to make your dream come true. You see, you're now actively thinking about Hawaii and the ways to make the vacation possible - instead of thinking about all the obstacles in your way.

When you start shoveling, you become actively engaged in creating the result you want. You generate enthusiasm and momentum. You might face roadblocks, but you're able to get around them.

Many of us don't pick up the shovel because we fear that we're not ready to go after our dream. We want everything to line up in perfect order so we'll have a clear path, with no unexpected detours, no criticism and no disappointments. You'll rarely find any situation with perfect conditions. That's just an excuse for never starting. When your heart and mind are actively engaged and you're on fire about achieving something, you are simultaneously directing your subconscious mind to find out a way to get it for you. And the subconscious mind will get the job done for you, usually
in miraculous ways.

So, are there any goals or dreams where you have been delaying or failing to take action? If so, put on your boots, dig in and start shoveling... today!

-- Jeff Keller
(c) Attitude is Everything, Inc.

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Jeff Keller is the President of Attitude is Everything, Inc.
For more than 17 years, Jeff has delivered presentations on attitude and motivation to businesses, groups and trade associations throughout the United States and abroad. Jeff is also the author of the highly acclaimed book, Attitude is Everything. For more information, go to http://www.attitudeiseverything.com