Self-discipline it is not 11 have to get up into that cold bathroom with its cold floor( as his first foot hits the floor) and when I get out of the shower it’ s going to be cold … and it’ s so warm here in bed( as his second foot hits the floor...) Basically this story was the unspoken part behind the‘ Just do it’ philosophy. It tells us that to achieve in the workplace, or with a fitness regimen, we have to ignore the emotions that will discourage us and simply get our first foot to‘ hit the floor’. People found it helpful because it reassured them that the people who are able to get out of bed at 5 a. m. and start work – or go for a jog – don’ t find it any easier than the rest of us. We don’ t like to think that people who get things done are better than us in some way, or know something we don’ t. The story of the two salesmen tells us that we need to feel our reluctance and do it anyway. It tells us that motivation comes down to getting our feet to hit the floor and then it’ s a matter of putting one foot in front of the other. It tells us that the psychology of motivation is deadly simple – you either have it or you don’ t. So I told this story and a few others. The motivation guru spoke about the need to clearly visualize your goals. How we must set a clear goal and program it in for our brain to then seek it out, like a targetseeking missile. We were reminded of that old saying on the need for a clear goal:‘ When you’ re not heading anywhere in particular, don’ t worry as any road will get you there!’ This was the state of the art in motivation and self-discipline almost twenty years ago and there was only one problem with it: most of it, especially what I had spoken about, was all wrong! What if self-discipline does not bring about change? This old model of motivation was built around what the second salesman appeared to have and the first one didn’ t: self-discipline. It said that those who can lose weight are disciplined and strong while those who can’ t are undisciplined and weak-willed slobs. It said that selfdiscipline