“It’s not that I’m so smart , it’s just that I stay with problems longer .” ~ Albert Einstein

Do you remember the first big-league baseball game you ever saw? Or the first concert?

It’s possible that the performers were not nearly as excited about the event as you were.

Pro athletes and musicians are just like anyone else. There are days when they just don’t feel like going to work or practice.

But the difference between them and others is that they do it anyway.

Sports psychologist Dr. Rob Gilbert defines a professional as one who does his best when he feels like it the least.

Hank Aaron, who for many years held the record for most career home runs, said, “My motto was always to keep swinging. Whether I was in a slump or feeling badly or having trouble off the field, the only thing to do was keep swinging.”

Think about that for a moment. Over his 23-year career, there were days when Aaron just didn’t feel well. But the fans never knew. Aaron never ACTED that way.

So whether you’re getting paid or not, you can still be professional in your approach.

It’s OK if you don’t feel like going to the gym.

It’s not OK to stay home if you don’t feel like going.

And it’s certainly not OK to ACT like you don’t feel like being there.