There’s always something crazy going on in this industry. At any moment, there’s a maniac in a weight room taking a dangerous lift and a shady businessman in an office finding a way to turn dirty profits. The posts you find here in my log are the musings of a mashed-up meathead — the reactions I have as I spend my whole life watching this industry. I will share my thoughts with you here, unedited, uncensored, unfiltered, and Under The Bar. If you are offended by profanity - do not read this. 

 

 Feeling > Actions > Identity

The other night in the gym a concept came up that I've seen described many times over the years. I thought it would be interesting to share because it seems to be a concept that gets explained a lot of different ways and I think is misinterpreted much of the time. The best way that I've seen this described was in the book Resilience by Eric Greitens. The concept is basically your emotions, how to control your emotions and your feelings and how your feelings, for many people, determine what their actions are going to be. Then in turn, their identity becomes defined by their actions.

If you think about it and you look around to the people that you know, you can even see this on social media as well. You'll see people who get upset or happy, excited or whatever their feelings are. Then they act based upon that feeling. They're responsive to how they feel. Then over time, they begin to become defined by those actions, either as say somebody is a hot head or somebody has integrity or good character. This can go good or it can go bad, but essentially what you're doing is you're letting your feelings determine who you want to be and who you want to become, when essentially this is backwards.

Identity > Actions > Feelings

What you really want to do is have your identity determine what your actions will be and then whatever your actions will be will determine your feelings. In other words, decide the type of person you want to be, what kind of person that you want to become. What kind of person do you want to be known for? Then make your actions of that type of person. Then when your actions are of that type of person, that will bring the feelings of that. In other words, you're not going to be living responsive to everything. You are going to be deciding and laying down the foundations for your own destiny.

 
The strength and fitness industry is packed full of people and services that place feelings first  without ever thinking of the identity they are creating. This is due in large part because so many consumer decisions are based on "feelings" that many hope will lead to the "action" of buying product or service. If the product or service works or does what it says is of little relevance because those selling do not care about the identity of their company. If you are a company think of the identity you want to create, then create your marketing mix and let that create the feelings the consumer will create about you. Don't fall prey of looking at the "feelings" of the market to create your marketing mix because this will determine your company or products identity.