“Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” – Albert Einstein’s sentence could be the motto of behavioural development: everything starts with imagination.
We all picture a better version of ourselves: fitter, more successful, more disciplined. Imagination is powerful – but on its own, it changes nothing. The real attraction lies not in what we plan to do, but in what we actually do.
For a long time, I had a running plan: go to the park every second day and run five to seven kilometres. In my head, I was already that disciplined runner. In reality, I left the house for this purpose maybe once a week, reaching a third of my goal at best despite proudly announcing my plan to my family.
One sunny Saturday my wife and I went for a walk with our son. The park was buzzing with people pursuing all sorts of sports. I watched them closely and commented, a lot, on how fast they ran, their posture, their footwork.
After a while, my wife stopped, looked at me and said calmly:
“You’re just procrastinating. You don’t do what you say. You only comment on others, You announce your plans, and you still don’t act. That is NOT attractive.”
It felt like a slap in the face. Me, not attractive? I do go running… well, from time to time. But on the inside, I knew she was right. I was talking about action instead of taking action. One small letter makes all the difference.
That short conversation stayed with me. It made me realise that, like everyone else, I have blind spots: behaviours I am not aware of, but others clearly see. When someone we trust holds up the mirror, we gain self-awareness. When we act on that awareness, we show ownership, become more reliable, more accountable. And more attractive.
By doing what we say, we increase our influence and earn trust, because our words should match our actions.
My learning from that day in the park is simple: we often express wishes and plans and at the same time justify why we don’t act on them. But it is action that counts. Only actions generate results!
Carl G. Jung summarised it perfectly: “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”
So here is my call to action for you, and my own reminder: be aware of what you promise, to others and to yourself. Notice when you are explaining instead of acting. Ask for honest feedback. Then choose one small, concrete step, make it a SMART goal and do it.
It may feel uncomfortable at first, but it makes us more consistent, more trustworthy – and more attractive, even to ourself.
