Doubt will take you out of action, but action will take you out of doubt.

You may have heard the phrase “Just do it!” There is a lot of wisdom in it. In our lives we constantly face choices. When we try to imagine how we will feel as the result of the two alternatives in a choice, we try to pick the choice that we predict will feel better. Many times that choice is about doing something, or not doing it. I suggest doing it, because it is a lot easier to make the decision of whether to continue to do something when you already know how it feels to do it, instead of just guessing on how it will feel.

It’s no big deal if you choose to do something differently after you start it. You always have another choice to make, and another. You will be much better prepared to choose if you actually have done it.

When you pause from a task, a job, exercise, or even life itself, it sometimes is hard to find the motivation or inspiration to get back to it. Often it feels like there is no point, you don’t feel like doing it and you expect the results to be poor. Most of us find that simply by doing something small it feels better, and the motivation then comes from feeling the sense of accomplishment from the doing.

Let me use the example of sales. Often someone in sales will feel like their heart is just not in it right now, because of feeling “down” from events in other parts of their life. Usually, if they just make a phone call anyway, and have a conversation, it will be uplifting. The human interaction helps, and the sense of accomplishment from simply doing it helps too, regardless of the outcome of the call. That action brings the inspiration to make another call, and another.

In this way, the motivation to do something can come from the actual doing of it. This is true of many other aspects of our life as well. As jumping into a pool of water is motivation to swim, the doing of a little something is usually motivation to do more of it. Don’t be scared, you can always get out of the water, dry off, and go do something else.

Action can not only be a cure for doubt and lack of motivation, but can also be a cure for sadness, hopelessness, and depression. There is a constant desire in all of us to learn, grow and expand… to follow desires. This is what makes us feel alive… having desires. Most learning in life comes not from thinking about something, but from the actual doing of it. Life experience is the greatest teacher of all.

So go out and “just do it!” It’ll feel great!