Do we act our way into good thinking or think our way into right acting?I don’t know. So practice both.
What I do know is that if our thoughts are not synergistic with our actions, something will shift. Either our minds will shift to come into line with what we are doing, or we will adjust our actions to be more in line with what we are thinking.
I will give you a practical exercise to prove the point.
Imagine that you are a seagull gliding gently through the air. Actually, stretch out your arms and move like you are a flying seagull.
Next imagine you are a jackhammer operator, actually jumping up and down like you are using that machine to break up concrete.
Now try to move your arms gently like you are a flying seagull but think about being the jackhammer operator at the same time.
I doubt you will be able to do it. Either your mind will shift to being a gentle seagull, or your simulated flight will be the bumpiest on record.
I don’t actually know which comes first—the thought or the action, but I do know that the most effective actions will come when thoughts and acts are aligned.
So I think it is equally important to put time and practice on affirmations and visualization as it is to do the small acts every day that are required to achieve a goal. In fact, I recommend that one of your actions is actually rehearsing an affirmation/visualization and one act is a logical next step. That way you have it covered. You are simultaneously training your brain muscle to support you AND taking the action steps you need to achieve success.