All too often, we spend our days waiting for the ideal path to appear

All too often, we spend our days waiting for the ideal path to appear in front of us. We forget that paths are made by walking, not waiting. Dreaming is great. But thinking big thoughts alone will not build a business, pay your bills, or make you into the person you know in your heart you can be. In the words of Thomas Carlyle, “The end of man is action and not thought, though it be of the noblest.” The smallest of actions is always better than the boldest of intentions.

The author’s argument relies on which of the following assumptions?

A. All successful outcomes are the result of deliberate action rather than inspiration or intention.
B. Individuals are capable of taking meaningful steps toward their goals even in the absence of perfect clarity or complete information.
C. Dreams and long-term visions are only valuable when they are paired with immediate execution.
D. People who fail to act often do so because they are waiting for the perfect moment or ideal conditions.
E. Most people are unaware that consistent small actions compound over time into significant achievements.