Lots of people dream big and talk about big bold ideas but never do anything. I judge people by what they've done. The ratio of something to nothing is infinite. So just do something.

Peter Diamandis
Engineer, entrepreneur, founder of the X Prize Foundation

‘I’m scared… I'm not sure I want to go on the ride…'

My daughter Tallulah and I were standing in line, waiting for our turn to go on Air, a roller-coaster designed to simulate the experience of flying. We could hear the screams of the thrill-seekers on the ride as they looped skyward at high speed then plunged close to the ground, past fences, rocks and trees. Tallulah and I had been looking forward to this day for years – we'd had to wait until she was tall enough to go on the biggest, scariest rides – but as we stood in the queue, she was gripped by anxiety and having second thoughts. In the end, her desire for adventure won out, and we were soon locked into our harnesses, suspended in a ‘Superman’ position. The next two minutes were intoxicating as we dived, looped and swooped through the park, reaching speeds of 75 kilometres per hour. Tallulah loved it! When the ride was over, she said, ‘I was really frightened in the queue, but the ride was amazing! I really enjoyed it’. Her statement stopped me in my tracks, and I asked her what she made of that. She said, ‘I guess I was feeling my thinking in the queue, but I thought I was feeling the roller-coaster’.

Tallulah had seen through the oldest trick in the book, the mistaken belief that we're feeling something other than THOUGHT in the moment. We're always living in the feeling of the principle of THOUGHT, taking form in the moment. But it often seems as though we're feeling something other than THOUGHT. Why? Because THOUGHT is a trickster. It will point the finger at anything but itself. When she was in the queue, it seemed as though Tallulah's feelings were coming from her future roller-coaster ride. In fact, she was experiencing a THOUGHT-generated illusion in the present. I told her, ‘As you go through life, you will see countless examples of people who believe they’re feeling the roller-coaster of their future, when really they're standing in the queue, feeling THOUGHT in the moment'.

So what does this have to do with motivation, action and momentum? Here's what:

You don't need to feel motivated to take action.

In fact, it turns out that the most relevant time to take action can often be when you're not feeling motivated, enthusiastic or inspired. By the time you've finished this chapter, you're going to understand how to make progress on any project, no matter how motivated or unmotivated you feel, and no matter how uncomfortable or resistant you may have been with it until now. You're going to learn the art of making a start, no matter how big and scary your project may be.

Moods are like weather

I was having a conversation with a client who had a project she wanted to move forward with. She told me that sometimes she felt really inspired and motivated about the project, but that other days she felt uninspired and listless. The changes in her feeling about the project were confusing to her, and she was hesitant to take action and move forward. ‘Would you want to make your project dependent on the weather?’ I asked her. She replied that she wouldn't want that. ‘Then why would you make your project dependent on how you feel on a given day?’ She looked perplexed, and said she thought that if it was the right thing to do, she would always feel inspired about it. I said, ‘Your feelings don't know about your project; your feelings only know about THOUGHT in the moment. Your moods are like the weather; they don't mean anything’. I explained that while purpose and inspiration can give you a glimpse of a possible future, we're always going to be subject to the ebb and flow of THOUGHT in the moment. And like the weather, your moods are not a reliable foundation to base your future on.

The power of passivity

‘Right! So you’re saying I should never be passive. That I have to take action no matter how I'm feeling?' No, I'm not saying that. Passivity can actually be a source of power and inspiration, something you can get to work for you rather than against you. Many of the great discoveries through history have come as the result of a realization: fresh new thinking that showed up when the thinker's state of mind was one of contemplation, reflection or meditation. So how does this reconcile with the ‘perspiration reality’? Many of my clients appreciate The CLARITY^® Productivity Quadrant:

The quadrant describes four zones:

1.   The Zone of Resistance (passive)

We all oscillate between periods of clarity and times when we get caught up in our thinking. When we're caught up, it's almost always an example of contaminated thinking, the mistaken belief that our feelings are coming from somewhere other than THOUGHT in the moment. The Zone of Resistance isn't much fun. Nevertheless, we all end up there from time to time. We have seasons, just like the rest of nature. We're not all 100% productive 100% of the time. You might like to reflect on the question, ‘Where do I believe my experience is coming from?’ When we're in the Zone of Resistance, it almost always seems like our feelings are letting us know about the future, the past, our circumstances, other people or ourselves. Alternatively, you can jump into uninspired action.

2.   The Zone of Uninspired Action (active)

Don't just sit there; do something! The Zone of Uninspired Action often accounts for the ‘perspiration reality’ we explored earlier. Getting into action gives you something to be doing and focusing on. Your mind is a self-correcting system, so you're going to get fresh new thinking/feeling eventually. When you're taking action, it's surprising how often new thinking shows up. When a person's in the Zone of Uninspired Action, there's sometimes a sense of strain, struggle and ‘slogging away at it’. That's OK; as my dear friend and colleague Garret Kramer says, ‘Stay in the game’. You may even find yourself pausing and easing into a reflective state of mind.

3.   The Zone of Reflection (passive)

Don't just do something; sit there! The Zone of Reflection is a powerful source of fresh new thinking, a zone of renewal and regeneration. Newton's theory of universal gravitation, Archimedes' eureka moment and Steve Jobs' insights about the future of the music business all came in moments of reflection, when they weren't actively thinking about the matter at hand. There are countless contexts where people enter a reflective and contemplative state of mind. I've had numerous examples from clients over the years (including walking, sitting by the ocean, riding, meditating, reading, listening to certain music, sitting in the bath). As you get a deeper understanding of the principles behind clarity, you'll find yourself being guided into the Zone of Reflection more easily and spontaneously. And from time to time, you'll get struck with inspiration, an insight that shows you the way forward. When that happens, it's time for inspired action.

4.   The Zone of Inspired Action (active)

The Zone of Inspired Action is where you can't seem to put a foot wrong; where everything's falling into place and you feel guided and directed. Enjoy it when it comes, and stay in the game when it doesn't. Even when it's nowhere to be found, you can relax in the knowledge that it's only ever a thought away.

The art of making things happen

Do something…

When you take action, you can discover things that you're unlikely to stumble upon in the privacy of your own head… You put your theories and ideas about life to the test, and get direct feedback from an impartial agent: reality!

As you get a deeper understanding of the principles behind clarity, you'll find yourself with a stronger foundation for the action you take. You'll become more attuned to your own rhythms, knowing when to act and when to pause for reflection. As you keep waking up to the power of wisdom and intuition, you'll come to rely more and more on them as a source of insight, guidance and realization.

So as your personal transformation continues, it's time to jump into your interpersonal transformation, a domain that will give you plenty of opportunity for connection, experimentation and action.