Screw it, Just Do It! - The One Life Lesson From Richard Branson

Editor's note: whatever self-help book you read, or personal development teacher you follow, or success philosophy you believe in, nothing will happen for you until you take action!

Who's better to learn from about this than Richard Branson, one of the most succesful entrepreneurs and inspiring visionaries of our world? In his book Screw It, Let's Do It, Branson outlines the life lessons that lead to his success. And guess what's the most important life lesson he shares? Yes you're right: Take action! Start now! Just do It!

Get inspired with Branson's Introduction of his book Screw It, let's Do It. We print it here for your convenience.

Introduction to the book 'Screw It, Let's Do It' by Richard Branson

The press call me and my partners at virgin 'Mavericks in paradise'. There's no doubt that we tend to do things in a less stuffy way than most businesses - and I have ended up with two tropical islands to have fun on - so it must be true. And for me it works. I work hard and I play hard.

Though I have never followed the rules at every step, I have learned many lessons along the way. My lessons in life started at home when I was young. They carried on at school and in business from as early as my teens when i ran student magazine. I am still learning and hope I never stop. These lessons have done me good throughout my life. I have written them down and i hope that you will find something in these pages that might inspire you.

I believe i goals. It's never a bad thing to have a dream, but I'm practical about it. I don't sit daydreaming about things that are impossible. I set goals and then work out how to achieve them. Anything I want to do in life I want to do well and not half-heartedly. At school, I found reading and writing hard. Back then, Dyslexia wasn't understood and my teachers just thought I was lazy. So taught myself to learn things by heart. Now I have a very good memory and it has become one of my best tools in business.

When I was starting out in life, things were more certain than they are those days. You had a career lined up, often the same one your father followed. Most mothers stayed at home. Today nothing is sure and life is one long struggle. People have to make choices if they are to get anywhere. The best lesson I learned was to just do it. It doesn't matter what it is, or how hard it might seem, as the ancient Greek, Plato said. 'The beginning is the most important part of any work'.

A journey of a thousand miles starts with that first step. if you look ahead to the end, and all the weary miles between, with all the dangers you might face, you might never take that first step. And whatever it is you want to achieve in life, if you don't make the effort, you won't reach your goal. So take the first step. There will be many challenges. You might get knocked back, bu in the end, you will make it. Good Luck!

Richard Branson

So.. do you have big goals and dreams as well? Do you spend a lot of time planning and waiting for the right moment? Do you know how to turn the procrastination switch off and start acting? Share with us your experience below. And remember, whatever it is that you want, just do it!