5 Ted Talk Lessons That Will Push You To Take More Action In Your Life

There are some great TEDx videos out there – providing inspiration, motivation, and wisdom for anyone who spends a little time watching or listening to them. Unfortunately, these videos won’t do the hard work for you. To really benefit from what a TEDx video has to teach you, it’s important to take the knowledge you’ve gained and apply it to your own life.

There are tons of things you can do to make your days more active and productive, and TEDx speakers provide a perfect example of this. Instead of procrastinating, these motivational individuals stopped putting their dreams on hold and took action to spread their wisdom and expertise with the world – and look how successful these speakers have become!

Using their achievements as your motivation, there is a lot that can be gained from getting off the couch and putting your own dreams into action.

1. Knowledge is useless on its own.

What good does it to do you to read and learn if you never use that knowledge for anything productive? Applied knowledge is better knowledge, and no one knows that better than TEDx speakers. These people aren’t filling your head with empty words – they have the experience to back up their information, and you can benefit from using their advice to seek out educational experiences for yourself.

2. You’ll learn better by doing.

Unless you start applying some of this knowledge, you’ll never know what techniques and tips work for you and which don’t. Once you start taking action on some of your goals, you’ll be able to turn it into a habit – and this active forward movement will become a normal and inspiring part of your daily life. You’ll also be better equipped to pass your knowledge along to someone else, letting you spread your motivation and wisdom with your colleagues and your loved ones.

3. There’s never a perfect time.

Often, people can talk themselves out of taking action by telling themselves that it’s just not a good time. It’s always easier to just put things off until tomorrow. However, there’s nothing to be gained from procrastination – time passes, no matter what. Make the most of the time you have by being proactive and working toward your short- and long-term goals.

4. Boost your confidence.

Even just taking the first step toward something you’ve been wanting to pursue will give you a huge burst of energy and propel you ahead. The sense of confidence you can gain from taking action and working on achieving your dreams can make a huge impact on your life. Your newfound drive will be reflected in your improved mood, your healthier relationships, and your productivity at work. Try not to be discouraged if you encounter struggles and challenges on your path to your dreams – even failure provides you with an opportunity to learn and grow. Finding the positive aspects of every situation is a great way to maintain that confidence and keep looking ahead.

5. No one else will do it for you.

Surrounding yourself with positive, healthy, motivation people is inspiring, but when it comes down to it, you’re still the only person in control of your life. Make yourself proud by setting goals and looking at what steps you can take to achieve them. It’s okay to accept support and encouragement from the other people in your life, but don’t forget that the biggest source of inspiration you have comes from within. Be your own cheerleading squad and let your desire to be successful carry you down the right path.

Not only are you doing yourself a disservice if you choose inaction, this decision has an impact on the people around you. In his 2009 TED Talk “Design and Discovery,” David Carson perfectly explained why it’s important for everyone to take action and contribute to our chosen fields – especially as our society becomes increasingly reliant on technology.

“You have to utilize who you are in your work,” he said. “Nobody else can do that: nobody else can pull from your background, from your parents, your upbringing, your whole life experience. If you allow that to happen, it’s really the only way you can do some unique work, and you’re going to enjoy the work a lot more as well.”

There are tons of reasons why people don’t take action in their own lives – indecision, procrastination, fear – but you’ll never realize your dreams unless you can take that first step and start moving forward. It’s not enough to just watch TEDx videos to become awesomely wise. Achieving true wisdom and success is only possible once you start being proactive in your own life and working for your dreams. You’ve got all the motivation you need – so take action and make a difference!