How do you get out of bed in the morning? Do you wait until you feel like getting out of bed and then you get out of bed? OR . . . do you get out of bed and then you feel like it?
If you’re like most people, first you get out of bed and then you feel like it. The ACTION precedes the feeling. THE ACTION COMES FIRST.
When I was in school and I had to write that big paper, or start that big project, or do that big reading assignment -- I used to wait until I felt like starting.
MAJOR MISTAKE!
Why was this a BIG mistake? Because I NEVER EVER FELT LIKE IT! I kept waiting to feel motivated and that feeling never came.
Here’s what I learned: You have to do it and then you’ll feel like it. In other words, you can create the feelings through action.
Tom Fleming was once one of the top marathon runners in the world. In fact, he won the New York City Marathon twice. Years ago, he spoke to one of my classes and he said that he used to train by running 125 – 150 miles per week. One of my students asked Tom if he always felt like running. Tom said,
“Most days I didn’t feel like running until I started running!”
This is a key strategy: Put your body in motion and the emotions will follow.
As members of Alcoholics Anonymous say about going to meeting: “Bring your body and your mind will follow.”
This is not just true for superstar long-distance runners and members of A.A. -- this is true for you too! This is a sure-fire method for overcoming the “I-don’t-want-to” feelings that are keeping you from getting whatever you want.
If you know what you have to do, don’t listen to your feelings. Feelings aren’t always facts. Don’t listen to your thoughts. Instead, start doing it, start acting it, start pretending it.
Put your body in motion and your emotions will follow. Maybe not immediately, but eventually. Once you start running -- you’ll soon feel like running. Once you start studying -- you’ll soon feel like studying.
This works! It will work for anyone. It will work for anything!
A great example of “actions changing feelings” can be found in one of the most famous sales books of all time — How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger. The first chapter of this book isn’t about selling -- it’s about baseball!
Here’s the story . . .
Way back in 1907, Bettger was cut from a minor league baseball team because the manager said he was "lazy.” The only job Bettger could get was with a team in New Haven in the lowest levels of the minor leagues.
Bettger promised himself that no one would accuse him of being “lazy’ ever again.
He couldn’t hit, run, or throw any better, but he began to play better as soon as he acted more energetically and enthusiastically.
This turned his career around and he eventually made it to the major leagues where he played for the St. Louis Cardinals.
After an injury forced his retirement, he took a job in sales.
Once again he was doing terribly until he realized what the problem was -- he was lazy.
He decided that no one would ever accuse him of being “lazy” ever again.
He didn’t know any more about the product or the customers, but he began to sell more as soon as he acted more energetically and enthusiastically.
He turned his career around and he became a superstar salesman, sales trainer, motivational speaker, and author.
Here’s what Frank Bettger learned: You have to do it and then you’ll feel like doing it. In other words, you can create your feeling through actions.
Tomorrow: PART 3
