Co-Contributors are Action-Takers

In my early twenties I started my first job at a computer and technology company. We were internet service providers and computer sellers. I was hired to assemble computers.

The late 90s was a busy time for computer sellers as the issue of Y2K bug was a concern for most people. Everyone wanted to change their computers to a new one before the year 2000. There was a world-wide belief that the old computers might crash at the turn of the millennium.

A couple of months into my employment, one day, our salesperson, Jackal Poon, asked me out to lunch. We had never been out together before. During our lunch he told me: "you make the computers and I sell them, why do we need this guy?" He was referring to our boss. He told me that we can open our own computer store and do this by ourselves. "We don't need him."

This was a shock to me; a new employee in a new land. I had been in the country just for a few months. I did not know what to tell him. He could clearly see the fear in my eyes. He knew that I was hesitant to say yes. He just bluntly told me: "don't worry about anything, I will take care of everything. All you have to do is say yes."

I was still hesitant as I had no idea about opening a new business. How to do the paperwork, leasing a space or registering a business for that matter. I was just blank in my head about business. I had to put all my strength together to say yes to this business proposal on the spot. We put the very little money we had together and rented a small retail store and started our business... and, I never looked back since!

In life, we need someone to push us into the ocean. We need someone to tell us to go ahead and jump, everything else will be taken care of. We need someone to help us take action. My buddy, Jackal Poon, was a true Co-Contributor for me. He "forced" me to take action and he did the right thing.

We all need a Jackal Poon in our lives because taking action is not easy. We are hesitant to take action. We find excuses to delay taking action. We need a push. We need a friend who can give us the confidence to do what we always wanted to do.

Some of us might say that we have to learn before we take action. This claim might have some merits in it, but only by taking action we can truly learn. We can not learn by reading books, attending seminars or listening to videos and audios. For entrepreneurs, learning is not by listening, but rather by doing the actual work.

Our Co-Contributor plays a crucial role in helping us to take action. We exchange ideas on what could be the best course of action. Our Co-Contributor builds our confidence to make a decision and move forward. Just by ourselves, we might not have the courage to make a decision let alone taking action. We might have the fear of being wrong. We might be afraid of the consequences of our actions. This is where our Co-Contributor can help us move forward confidently.

We double check our idea with our Co-Contributor before taking action and this act alone by itself is good enough for most of us to move forward. Sometimes all we need is a little push from someone who cares about us. Or even if we know that someone else is aware of what we are doing is good enough to motivate us to take action.

Co-Contributors have a close enough relationship that they dare to push their fellow Co-Contributor into taking action. Both sides are open to pushing each others "buttons." They both know that one is looking out for the other. They understand that suggestions are for the best interest of the fellow Co-Contributor.

We have to keep in mind that taking action is not just a one time thing. It could be a step towards reaching our goal. We might have to go through multiple steps to do what we want to do. Our Co-Contributor is supporting us at every step along the way. We go back and forth. We openly criticize each other. We might make mistakes and start all over again. Our Co-Contributor makes sure to consistently be beside us to move our agenda forward.

As Co-Contributors, we consistently practice to improve each other. We work on each other to prepare ourselves to take action. We do not just exchange ideas, but rather we build each others' confidence and courage.

Of course, it goes without saying that our Co-Contributor doesn't take action on our behalf, but rather our Co-Contributor stands with us while we take action. Our Co-Contributor is backing us before, during and after we take action. They are just our supporter and cheer leader.

Consistently helping us in taking action is what our Co-Contributor contributes to reaching our goal. Consistency is the key. It is not a one-off thing. It is not just a launch. It is consistent work. Every time we discuss and feel confident and take action, it moves us forward. It is a progressive process.

So, Co-Contributors are consistent Action-Takers.