Act as If

My mom once told me that when you’re dressing for an interview, you should dress at least one level up from what you would wear at the job. 

Someone else told me that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. 

You can wear whatever you want, of course, but the point here is to act as if. 

Act as if you already work at there. 

Act as if you’ve gotten the promotion you deserve. 

Act as if you already have everything you’ve ever wanted. 

I remember once, years ago, I was in a sales contest.  I had a deadline to sell a certain amount of product to win a trip to a tropical paradise. I so badly wanted to go.  But I was stressing myself out, I was over-thinking and I was nervous that I wouldn’t make it. As a result, I was in a sales slump and getting rejected.  I remember calling my manager and he asked me “how would you be acting if you’ve already won?” I answered that I’d be going into my appointments more confident and I certainly wouldn’t be stressed. His response, “do that.” I envisioned my sales number hitting the goal, I pictured myself on the beach, I got out of my own head.  I don’t remember if I sold on my next appointment, but I did hit the goal eventually and I was able to sit on that beach. 

There’s a certain magic that happens when you act as if.  There’s a certain magic that happens when you invoke the confidence of someone who already has what you want.  The universe guides those who act.

If you want to be a millionaire, you need to budget and plan like someone who already has a million dollars.  Of course, you’re not going to go out and spend money that you don’t have. But a simple thought, a simple budgeting action, will get you closer to where you want to go.  Instead of “I’ll never be able to afford that” think “I could buy that, if I wanted to.”

If you want to be a famous basketball player, you must act as if you’re living that life.  Practice every day. Don’t wish for it, then not work. The universe won’t guide those whose actions don’t align with their beliefs. 

Another amazing thing that happens when you act as if: other people notice.  When you walk into a room confident, smiling, acting as if you’re exactly where you should be (even if you don’t feel that way 100%), your energy changes, people are drawn to you.  Maybe someone notices and pays you a nice compliment.  Or maybe you feel that shift and say a kind word to someone you meet.  The ripple effect begins. You gradually gain more confidence until you’re no longer faking it. 

Back to my sales contest example.  I was meeting with customers in their homes on a one on one basis.  They could feel my energy as soon as I walked into the door.  So if I was in a sales rut and nervous, stuck in my head and constantly thinking “I hope I get this sale” one way or another, indirectly or directly, the customer could feel that. They could sense that I had only the sale on my mind.  But if I went in confident, as if I’d already won the contest, made the sale, and had no concerns except to serve this client to the best of my ability, they could sense that too.  And their reaction was always better. The appointment always went well when I had that mind set. 

It’s the same with the job interview, the dream of being a famous athlete, whatever.  Act your way into feeling.  Act as if.  Here’s another example: working out.  If you say “I don’t feel like working out,” you’ll never complete the action of working out.  But if, instead, you say to yourself “I’m going to go to the gym 3 times a week, no matter what” (or whatever your goal is), you’ll go to the gym regardless of how you feel. Chances are, once you act, you’ll feel better.  Even if it’s just walking on the treadmill for 10 minutes.  Just take the first step. Act your way into feeling like you want to work out. 

Act as if you want to exercise.

Act as if you are already confident.

Act as if you already have everything you’ve dreamed of, everything you deserve. 

Act as if. Until you no longer have to put on the act.