Act Like You Want It
I heard a very intriguing quote the other day. It went something
like this: "It is easier to act your way into new thinking than
to think your way into new actions."
How very true is this? How many of us have said I'm going to be
a happier person, I'm going to be more spiritual/ religious, I'm
going to be more financially responsible. We read books on the
topic, come up with grand ideas but we never DO anything. The
problem is this desire to make changes stay in the cerebral
realm. We think, think, and think, but we never do.
As the quote points out, it may be easier to achieve major life
changes by using action not by pondering, wondering, or
studying. It's the "fake it until you make it" philosophy. If
you want to be a happier person, act like a happy person. Start
smiling and being nice to people even if you don't feel like. If
you want to be more financially responsible, start acting like a
financially responsible person. Start forcing yourself to put
money away every paycheck (even if it's as small at $10 or $20),
freeze your credit cards to stop using them. If you want to be
more spiritual/ religious start going to church on a regular
basis, praying everyday or reading the Bible. The point is to
start behaving like the person you want to become even if you
aren't sincere and the actions seem forced. Your mind will
eventually catch up with your actions.
For example, suppose you wanted to be a physically fit person
and exercise daily. You force yourself to get up every single
morning to walk for 30 minutes on the treadmill. Initially this
feels like torture; you moan and groan because you hate getting
up and you don't feel like walking, but you are committed to
your fitness goal. Then slowly, over the course of several weeks
it starts getting easier to get out of bed, the 30 minutes go by
very quickly and you even start to increase your speed. One
morning you have to skip your routine because of an early flight
or meeting. Much to your surprise you MISS that 30-minute walk.
The simple act of forcing yourself to walk every morning has now
changed you into a more physically fit person. No pontificating,
no contemplating, just pure action.
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