How often do our feelings dictate our actions?

I feel depressed, so I am going to sit on the couch and binge watch shows on Netflix.

I feel tired, so I’m going to push snooze and skip my workout.

I feel stressed out and overwhelmed, so I’m going to pick up fast food instead of cooking a healthy meal for dinner because it’s faster.

I feel anxious and scared so I am going to cancel that first date / job interview / phone call so I can feel comfortable.

Feelings are important. You want to tune into them, acknowledge them, and yes sometimes honor them. But you shouldn’t always trust what your feelings are telling you to do. Feeling depressed and wallowing there isn’t serving you. Feeling stressed and taking it out on everyone around you isn’t beneficial. Notice your feelings, but don’t let them dictate your actions.

Instead of acting on your feelings, decide who you want to be in that moment. If you are feeling unmotivated and lazy ask yourself how do I want to be instead? Motivated, driven, inspired…. Then be that. Take the action that a motived, driven, inspired version of yourself would do. Feeling scared and anxious, decide to be brave and daring.

If we always let our feelings dictate our actions we could easily find ourselves stuck in a funk for too long of a period of time. Avoiding that difficult conversation forever. Skipping every workout. Or just getting nothing accomplished in our lives. Let’s face it, I live in paradise, if I only did what I felt like I would spend almost every day at the beach. But acting on that feeling wouldn’t serve me or my business in the long run.

I remember years ago when I was in school struggling with finding the drive to study. Some days I was just lazy and was waiting to feel more motivated before I picked up a book. During that time I heard a profound statement from Marie Forleo (business and life coach) that changed the way I worked from then on out. She stated:

“Losers wait for motivation. Winners get shit done.”

Simple advice I know. But it left a huge impact on me. Whenever I am feeling tired and unmotivated to do whatever task is at hand I remember that quote.

Don’t wait to take action until you feel like it, because that day may never come. Let the action inspire a new way of feeling. I guarantee that if you feel tired, but force yourself to work out anyway, you will feel energized afterwards.  Act your way into an upgraded feeling. Start making decisions on who you are going to be and less on how you feel.