The Absolutely Critical Step 2: Do It! [Part 2] — A step-by-step guide to acting on the knowledge that you’ve invested time and money on to acquire.

Are you wondering, as I did a couple of years ago, why most people fail to apply the knowledge they acquire? Knowledge that, in some cases, savings accounts were emptied in order to acquire it? Friend, some of the reasons I uncovered will surprise you.

Procrastination is definitely one of them. But, surprisingly, it does not even rank among the top four reasons! Here are the shocking 12 reasons people fail to take necessary action that would’ve guaranteed they consistently get paid by the Invisible Paymaster:

Instant gratification; lack of patience; covetousness; low self esteem; procrastination; lack of confidence; misplaced priority; money pressure; inability to handle set-backs; lack of focus; lack of self discipline; inability to handle frustration.

1. Instant Gratification.

This is number one on the list. Most people who go for knowledge, do so believing that once they acquire it, money will start to roll in. That is why people celebrate their certificates. That is why they empty their savings account to pay for the courses they attend and the training manuals they buy.

But this is a terrible assumption. A very big mistake. Knowing how to do something, by learning it, only prepares you for the next stage of doing what you learn. And just as it’s important for you to learn it, so also is it crucial that you do it, that is, practice what you learn until you master it.

2. Lack of Patience.

When you say someone lacks patience, what are you really saying? Simple. The iokone person cannot stand any form of delays. He wants it now. Right now. Standing in line in a grocery store to make payment or joining a queue to take a bus is too much of a burden.

Whether in mundane things such as queuing in a line for your turn or waiting for a business proposal to be approved, inability to be patient until things fall into their proper place is a disease that anyone afflicted by it must quickly find a cure.

Lack of patience will cause you to abandon a project that requires a few more months to hit its stride and start bringing in the cash you desperately need. Impatiently leaving it to rush and start something else is never a smart thing to do.

Everything in life takes a process. If you abandon a project and jump on another one, you’ll still have to be patient for the new project to take shape. In the end, you’ll have longer time to wait than if you had seen the first project through.

3. Covetousness.

Surprised? You need not be. Covetousness is a major stumbling block to people who fail to follow-up what they know with actually doing it. Ever heard of the grass being greener at the other side of the fence? That’s covetousness at work right there.

No matter who you are, if you’ve ever attempted to do something that someone else is also doing, and that other person has an edge over yours, no matter how small that edge may be, you naturally feel that you are lagging behind, that your progress is retarded and that you’re not measuring up.

If you’ve ever felt this way, know that you’re not alone. But here’s a note of warning: don’t act on that feeling! Don’t pack up what you’re working on and embark on something else. Or do something that is even worst and stupid, like copying the other person.