Thursday, Jul 1, 2010Do Your Moods Keep You From Taking Action Steps?

Your moods are usually blamed for you not taking action steps or any action at all. I know you’ve both heard and said “I don’t feel like it.” That’s a generic and evasive saying that can have many other meanings. You might mean “I don’t want to hang out with you.” or “I’m tired.” or “I’m afraid I can’t do well what you want me to do.” It might be an interesting activity to watch yourself say “I don’t feel like it” and then make of list of what you really mean when you use moody behavior as a reason to do nothing.

Your moods are just a collection of your feelings that you’ve indulged habitually.  The nice thing about knowing your mood is just a feeling is this:  feelings follow thoughts, so if you can govern your thoughts, you can also govern the subsequent feelings. You can consciously choose to think “Each time I slide into old moods, nothing happens; so when I feel that old mood coming on, I’m going to take the opposite stand and get moving!”  Once you’re in action, the old mood fades away in a wisp of smoke.

Remember the law that said basically:

Mind’s desire leads to action (thinking) and action leads to results.

Once you get physically active, your mind will dwell on the end result rather than dwelling on your old “I don’t feel like it” mood.  You will find yourself looking forward to some successful outcome. I know there are really times when you truly “don’t feel like it.”  This may be because you are tired from a long day’s work.  Being tired is a different situation than hiding behind those words through fear or procrastination.  As I said, those words have many meanings.

The “I” of you prefers to be taking action steps forward though, so give yourself permission to become active despite your moods and feelings. You can make an agreement with yourself that every time you hear yourself saying “I don’t feel like it” you’ll get into action instead.

Just take one action step. By the time you’ve taken your first action step, your mood will generally change, and then you’ll be able to take the next step and the one after that.  You’ll be able to see the end result of your actions and “I don’t feel like it” will have become an excuse of the past.  You’ll be more focused on your success rather than on that old saying.

Act In Spite of Your Mood
“I don’t ‘feel’ like it”, is a common chant we often say to ourselves or to others when we’re tired, not in the mood, or simply procrastinating. No doubt feelings are important and need to be acknowledged, yet at the same time, they often prevent us from taking the action we need to take, at the time we need to take it. Consequently, in the end, because we didn’t do what we needed to do, we tend to feel worse.

It takes courage to act regardless of your current mood. It’s easy to succumb to your feelings. But remember, your feelings come from your thoughts, and you have the power to change your thoughts. When you change your thoughts, you will change the way you feel. Instead of focusing on how you’re not in the mood, focus on the benefit of completing whatever needs to get done. Focus on how you’ll feel when you’re finished and how proud you’ll be of yourself for acting in spite of not being in the perfect mood.

Utilize the “law of momentum” which states that, “A body at rest tends to remain at rest while a body in motion tends to remain in motion”. In short, get into motion! Remember, moods are a product of the “mind”. The trick is simple: don’t think, just do it! Train yourself to “get started” even if you’re not in the mood. Moods tend to quickly dissipate once you’re in action.

Whenever you don’t “feel” like it, check in with your current thoughts. What are you thinking that is resulting in this feeling? Then simply change your thoughts. Remember, action generally comes from your higher self, the part of you that is for growth and expansion. Inaction generally comes from your protective mind, the part of you that tries to keep you stuck in your comfort zone. When you act in spite of your mood, you are choosing to manage and control your mind instead of letting it control you!

So the next time you’re not feeling “in the mood”, either change your thinking or simply say to your mind, “thank you for sharing”. Then focus on only taking one of the first action steps to get started, then take another, and another. One step at a time until the law of momentum kicks in. By then, chances are you’ll forget all about your moody behavior and will be well on your way to completing whatever it was you needed to do…and your moods will not have gotten the better of you.