Actions

When you act without reflection, your actions are a reflection: a reflection of your beliefs and focus.

But when you act with intention, your actions can activate new beliefs and focus.

There is a growing consensus among neurologists and psychologists that much, if not most of our actions are driven by habits, not by conscious or intentional thought. And in some ways that’s great, if your habits are working for you.

But if your habits aren’t helping—if you’re following automatic patterns that are making it harder for you to become the person you want to be, you need to be more intentional.

The good news is that you can exercise “free won’t” and choose to adopt new patterns and new behaviors that have an outside-in effect on your beliefs and focus. Choose to focus on the great things in your life often enough, instead of your problems, and that will become the pattern, the habit. Choose to take the stairs instead of the elevator consistently enough, and eventually you won’t need to choose anymore.

Choosing and automating the right actions consistently over time is a key to becoming the person you want to be.