You must have watched a James Bond or Jason Bourne movie. Or maybe seen Brian Mills (Liam Neeson) in Taken.
The heroes are focussed and alert. They have one objective, which makes them single minded, almost robotic. And we have to accept that to achieve their aims they are somewhat cold-blooded, a sociopath.
And that is something we can all learn from. Too many of us allow ourselves to be controlled by others, waste time, So you don’t have to be a trained assassin or have a haunted past.
But the other traits are essential. Because both the killer spy and you are fighting to achieve your aims, in your case to get control of your life.
Develop a positive attitude. Don’t allow yourself to give up or get dejected. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Stay focused on doing what needs to be done. Act with intent. Don’t get sidetracked into anything that doesn’t contribute towards your goal.
Take stock of where you’ve got to. Measure your progress. You need to write down your goal, and the steps to be taken to achieve it. Otherwise you’ll be like a ship without a compass or rudder.
Make your body language reflect your aims. Don’t look cowed or vague. Your stance will affect your mind.
Be emotionally consistent: don’t get angry, get even. When an action hero faces a bad guy, they don’t lose their temper.
Be on time for meetings. And be prepared. I spoke to a recruiter who was frustrated that an applicant for a senior financial job didn’t know anything about the business or the role. He hadn’t done any research, and assumed he could bluff his way through the meeting.
Don’t waste people’s time. This includes excessive amounts of idle chatter.
Do more than is asked of you. It impresses people. As a child, I won an encyclopedia in a competition about Australia because I drew a map of the continent and marked the cities on it.
Don’t take on more tasks than you can handle. Be aware of how much time you have. Are you keen to please? Stop saying Yes to everything. Saying No lets you complete more jobs, and doing them well.
Work out where your time is wasted, and eliminate it. If you can’t avoid it, such as commuting time, use it to learn something.
Now take this quiz to find out if you meet the action hero requirements, albeit without the shooting and knife throwing skills. 
Score
7-10: Like an action hero you will definitely attain your goal.
5-6: To succeed you’ll need to sharpen up.
0-4: This book is what you need get started as an action hero!
Did I omit your One Big Change? Email me at
KitSadgrove@gmail.com. If I get enough requests I may add it here.
With best wishes
Kit Sadgrove
Founder, Get Up And Go
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