by Chris Banescu –
Concrete action and work are always preferable to doing nothing or constantly thinking about doing something, but never starting. We often wait for the “right” time to complete a task, start a new project, begin a new endeavor, get healthier, sharpen our character, strengthen our faith, or improve our relationships with others.
We hope to be in a proper frame of mind or a favorable mood in order to start doing this important work. We hope to be feel better or happier before acting. Yet, that turns out to be incorrect.
Happiness is often a byproduct of concrete action and effort. By doing the work, we begin to feel better.
In a recent post, Matt Walsh described the unreliable nature of feelings in guiding our behavior. He indicated that successful individuals do the work, despite their emotional state. These folks understand that you shouldn’t wait until you feel happy before you act. “Act first and eventually you’ll find that you also feel happy. Happiness is a byproduct of a well-lived life. It is not the starting point or the entryway,” wrote Walsh.
Similarly, discipline is more important than motivation in getting things done. As I mentioned in a previous article, discipline means doing those things we know we should be doing, despite our changing moods. If we wait until we’re properly motivated to do the work, we’ll never accomplish much. That’s because motivation also comes from our emotions, our feelings. And our emotions constantly fluctuate with our mood and state of mind. They’re not reliable enough to depend on or help us get the work done.
So get busy. Start doing the work you know you should be doing. An imperfect start is better than not starting at all. Some progress in the right direction today is better than waiting for tomorrow, or next week, or next month. Get moving. Get doing. Do the work! You’ll gradually feel better and happiness will eventually appear because of your efforts.
(Photo credit Pixabay)
