The idea of cause and effect has been touted by the Buddha and scientists alike. The idea is simple: actions have effects, and effects are the result of actions.

For example, saving money leads to a certain effect. Spending money has a different set of effects.

This simple idea isn’t challenging to understand, but it’s easy to underestimate the power it holds. The right action will bring the results you desire.

Use the law of cause and effect to your advantage:

1. Your results are the product of your actions. This is good news. This means you have responsibility for the results you’re creating in your life. Everything that’s happened, good or bad, is largely your own doing. You’re a powerful creature with the power to shape your environment and experience.
   
   
2. You can create new results by changing your actions. If you’re displeased with your results, you can change them by taking a new course of action. The results you desire only require taking the right actions. It’s only necessary to correctly identify those actions and then to have the courage to do them.
   
   
3. Review your past results. Look at the best and worst times of your life. Identify the actions that led to those good and bad results. Whether it was winning a race, dealing with an awful relationship, or breaking your leg, think about your contribution to those situations. What was your part in creating those results?
   
   
   1. How can you apply that information to better your life now? How can you use that experience to avoid reliving those negative results?
      
      

4. It’s not personal. The law of cause and effect is based on the idea that your actions lead to your results. There’s not a mystical force working for you or against you. The universe doesn’t play favorites.
   
   
5. Identify the actions that will lead the effect you desire. If you want to lose weight, what do you need to do? What do you need to avoid doing? Exercising daily has a certain effect. Eating a bowl of ice cream before bed also has an effect. What “cause” do you need to perform to get the effect you want?
   
   
6. Take massive action. Action leads to results. The only way to get great results is to take a lot of action. Figure out what the most important actions are and get busy. You’ll find that the most successful people find a way to do what they need to do to get the results they desire.
   
   
7. Avoid giving up. If your actions are the cause that lead to a desired effect, it doesn’t make sense to ever give up. You might need to find a different action to take, but action is the answer to getting what you want. Learn to persevere even when things aren’t going your way.
   
   
8. Take credit for your successes and failures. When things are going well, celebrate. You deserve it. When things are going poorly, recognize that you need to find a more effective way to do things if you want different results.
   
   

Use the law of cause and effect to create the life you desire. If you’re not getting the results you want in life, you’re not taking the right actions. It’s that simple.

Take the best course of action you can determine and note the results. Keep adjusting your actions until the results please you. There’s no way to fail f you don’t quit.

The law of cause and effect is a powerful ally on your road to success.