Knowledge fueled by emotion equals action. Action is the ingredient that ensures results. Only action can cause reaction. Further, only positive action can cause positive reaction.

Action. The whole world loves to watch those who make things happen, and it rewards them for causing waves of productive enterprise.

I stress this because today I see many people who are really sold on affirmations. And yet there is a famous saying that “Faith without action serves no useful purpose.” How true!

I have nothing against affirmations as a tool to create action. Repeated to reinforce a disciplined plan, affirmations can help create wonderful results.

But there is also a very thin line between faith and folly. You see - affirmations without action can be the beginnings of self-delusion. And for your well being there is little worse than self-delusion.

The man who dreams of wealth and yet walks daily toward certain financial disaster and the woman who wishes for happiness and yet thinks thoughts and commits acts that lead her toward certain despair are both victims of the false hope which affirmations without action can manufacture. Why? Because words soothe and, like a narcotic, they lull us into a state of complacency. Remember this: To Make Progress You Must Actually Get Started!

The key is to take a step today. Whatever the project, start Today. Start clearing out a drawer of your newly organized desk… today. Start setting your first goal… today. Start listening to motivational cassettes… today. Start a sensible weight-reduction plan… today. Start calling on one tough customer a day… today. Start putting money in your new “investment for fortune” account… today. Write a long-overdue letter… today. Anyone Can! Even an uninspired person can start reading inspiring books.

Get some momentum going on your new commitment for the good life. See how many activities you can pile on your new commitment to the better life. Go all out! Break away from the downward pull of gravity. Start your thrusters going. Prove to yourself that the waiting is over and the hoping is past — that faith and action have now taken charge.

It’s a new day, a new beginning for your new life. With discipline you will be amazed at how much progress you’ll be able to make. What have you got to lose except the guilt and fear of the past?

Now, I offer you this challenge: See how many things you can start and continue in this — the first day of your new beginning.

If you really can’t get started, I recommend what has worked for me: a version of the “two minute miracle” a technique physical therapist use to enable people to exercise even when they do not want to. They are taught to say to themselves, “I don’t have the time to take a walk right now, but I will walk for just two minutes.” Once they are actually walking, of course, they forget their objective and continue walking.

You can use this technique to help you get started on anything. E.g if you have been putting away the task of cleaning your room, you could say “I don’t have the time to clean my room right now, but I will do it for just two minutes”and twenty minutes later when you feel like giving up, you could say “I don’t feel like cleaning my room right now but I will continue for just two minutes.”So all you need to do is keep repeating this process until you get things done.

I realize that you might be skeptical and this may sound, well stupid, but it does work. I have completed entire projects using this technique and now it’s a essential part of my daily though process. So I know it works, should you know that to.