Lesson 7: The Gap Between Knowing and Doing

Life is perfect. Everything is perfect. And every day I awaken to this fact even more.

This is the perfect lesson for me right now.

When we got back from Rome, Tony's theme on the wakeup calls was just this--the gap between knowing and doing, or applying what we had learned there and not just sitting back thinking "wow, that was great--I learned a lot."

And amazingly, one of the speakers talked about WHY we sometimes have this gap. Harvard lecturer Shawn Achor referred to it as "activation energy." Basically he said that as humans we have a natural instinct to decide on an activity based on how much energy it takes to start it, rather than on the long term result.

He cited a study where a group of athletes were given the choice to play basketball or watch TV. Even though they knew they would feel better, have more energy, and sleep well after playing basketball, the majority of them choice to watch TV instead. Why? Because it took less energy to START watching TV than to suit up and go to the court.

Shawn also talked about how he decided to practice the guitar for 90 days. He said he practiced about two times and then never again for the rest of the time. Why? Because it took too long to get the guitar out of his closet and out of it's case.

Said Shawn, "Once I timed myself found that it took 20 seconds to get ready to practice. Just 20 seconds! That was the activation energy barrier to me doing something I really wanted to do."

So what did he do? He went out and bought a $2 music stand and kept his guitar out all the time. He said the next 90 days he practiced almost every single day.

Shawn's point really hit home when during the final Q&A, someone asked him if there were any books he would recommend. Shawn said that while there were some books listed on his website, he really encouraged us to apply what we've learned, rather than just read about it.

"I mean, I have spent more hours reading about the value of meditating than I have actually meditating. There is less activation energy required to read!"

Wow. When he said that, I realized that "activation energy"answered soooo many questions about why I do certain things (and end up frustrated!). For example, why it is that even though I KNOW I will feel better, be thinner, and have more energy if I eat two salads per day, more often I will let the lettuce rot in the refrigerator and eat bread instead? Because of the activation energy required to wash it! Why do I spend way more hours checking and sorting email than I do writing the stories that are my livelihood? Less activation energy!

The list goes on and on and on. It was a powerful insight into the workings of my life.

And here we are, studying the lesson of "The Gap Between Knowing and Doing." Shortening or even eliminating that gap is one of the most important keys to success in anything.

Exercise -- The 5 Steps

Beyond Freedom says that there are five steps to greatly increasing our chances of success in any endeavor. In this exercise, we apply them to one of our goals. My goal: To become a known author and have so many people contacting me for help that I need an army of people just to get back to them.

Step 1: My Why

• When people contact me, that means that they have already prepared their hearts and are open to what I have to offer them. They already know I'm genuine. They already know a little about what I do. They already see me as an authority figure.
• If I am known as an author, then I do not pay for advertising--it is a natural outcome of the service I provide.
• If I have so many leads that I can't call them all back myself, then I have something to provide to my team family so that they can experience talking to an open, receptive prospect.

Step 2: My Comfort Zone

When I first started writing, there was a little voice that told me my articles were going to be intrusive. That people wouldn't like them popping up in their email. That people would complain that I was selling something. I was afraid people would think I was ingenuine.

As Ona Brown told us in Rome, however, I simply said to that little voice, "Thank you for sharing, now go away."

I concentrate on making my articles valuable in and of themselves. I KNOW that people find them valuable. I publish them anyway.

Step 3: Think of Your Excuses and Plan Around Them

Excuse: I don't have time. I have too many other things to do.
Plan: Do it anyway--even if it is 5 minutes of daily gratitude. Writing is the MOST important. Do majority of writing early in the week/day so it is out of the way and I can focus on other things the rest of the time. The more it is hanging over my head, the less I enjoy anything else I do.

Excuse: I don't have time. It takes too long to boot up the computer.
Plan: Keep an empty notebook handy, so that I can write by hand when I need to (I hate this so much, perhaps it will motivate me to turn on the computer!)

Excuse: I'm too tired.
Plan 1: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Take care of myself. Get plenty of sound sleep. Exercise. Take my vitamins. Eat salad!
Plan 2: When I do feel tired, do one thing or spend 5 minutes doing something that I would not otherwise do--that I feel too tired to do.

Step 4: 5 Ways I Will be Supported

1. The world has provided Yahoo! groups, which easily allow me to distribute my articles.
2. I have free access to the Simpleology Best Selling Author Blueprint.
3. I am constantly finding new people to interview, who will distribute my articles to the people they know.
4. I have to be at the theatre every night--a wonderful opportunity to "get away from it all" and get writing done!
5. I am blessed that I don't have to have a job and have time at home to be able to write--I don't have to "squeeze" it in.

Step 5: Start Now

I will continue the pattern of writing one general article and one interview article each week. I will be consistent in doing this. I will write first and then check for responses afterward. I am water--I flow to whatever receptable is open.