Michael Alden is the founder of Blue Vase Marketing. From humble beginnings, Michael bootstrapped himself to great business success. He says, “I would not say that I am a lucky guy. The success I have obtained was not handed to me; not by any means. What I do consider luck is the hand I was dealt. My childhood was made up of struggle after struggle and for this I am forever fortunate. Growing up I was constantly problem solving, adapting and strategizing just to get through everyday life. Then and now one thing still remains: I always want more out of life.

Michael’s book, Ask More, Get More, gets released this week. In this short guest blog, he shares an observation about the power of doing what you say you’ll do:

I have found that there are too many people who just talk. They dream about one day becoming the person they want to be, but they never take action.

Someone once said to me, “Mike, the light isn’t always going to be green”.  He was right: if you dream or wait until all the lights are green, that day may never come.

Early in his amazing book, The Fred Factor, Mark Sanborn sums this up better than anyone. “It’s actually doing what others usually only talk about” that determines a person’s position in life.

I was recently counseling someone about a business he was trying to break into.  He had the experience, the knowledge, the passion and even the drive, but yet he hadn’t done anything. When I pushed him about what he was waiting for, he replied that he was waiting for the cards to fall into place; an idiom similar to my “light isn’t always going to be green.” Cards usually fall into a pile, but not “all into place.” The dealer arranges the cards; the cards don’t arrange themselves.

People often ask me what has made me successful.  There are many factors and people who have helped me along the way, but ultimately what has made me successful is taking action and doing what I said I was going to. Sounds simple doesn’t it? But it is powerful when you take action on your words.

Stop dreaming and start doing and your dreams will soon become your reality.