Action is the initiating impulse without which nothing gets set into motion.

It needs to be strong enough in the beginning in order to overcome the natural resistance to change, and during that time it imposes a lot of effort on you, both physical and emotional.

The length of this initiating period is unpredictable and its results are uncertain, and that’s when most people quit.

The originating impulse behaves like a wave. It needs time to propagate through all the parts involved in your project; the results of your actions can postdate your efforts by years, even decades.

What is important to remember is action always creates outcomes. 

They may be diluted by the lack of resolve and rendered unrecognizable by confused planning, they can be delayed by external circumstances, but the outcomes of your actions always manifest, sometimes years after you forgot the original goals.