If the year were a dollar, we’ve spent one quarter of it.
I don’t know about you, but I need to rethink some things and reevaluate where I am and where I want to be by year’s end.
All too often I lose sight of the goals I’ve set and find myself adrift in La La Land with a “duh” expression on my face and no real movement forward.
Why? Well, to move forward, one must take the next step. And, all too often that next step hasn’t been thought out, nor the direction planned so instead of doing something that will move me even an inch closer to where I want to be, I do NOTHING and wait for inspiration.
Inspiration…HA! Isn’t that a hoot?!? I wait to do something until I feel something that moves me to action.
We’re all about feeling, aren’t we.
- I didn’t wash dishes tonight, I didn’t feel like it.
- I’ll fold the clothes later…didn’t feel like doing it now.
- I don’t feel like cutting the grass now, I’ll do it tomorrow.
- I don’t feel like fixing a healthy meal, I’ll just snack for now.
- I don’t feel like getting up…snooze another 10 minutes.
- I don’t feel like….
- I need to getup from here and get busy, but I don’t feel like it.
Perhaps we need to drop feel from our vocabulary unless we’re talking about the way something feels to our fingertips.
Perhaps instead of using the word feel we should use the word that correctly describes our failure to perform. Most likely it has nothing to do with how we actually feel physically (as in ill and unable to) or emotionally (angry, sad, happy).
Often we don’t feel like doing something because we’ve not included preparation in our plans or taken time to prepare. Procrastination is easier than productivity. Immediate gratification feeds our feelings. We learn to listen to how we’re feeling instead of ignoring feelings and facing facts.
How do you feel? How do you feel about that? What are your feelings?
Bah – feelings invite you to take inventory and wallow a while. Feelings get your focus off of facts that serve as stepping stones into the future.
We say feel when we should choose words that portray honesty with self and with others.
We say feel and hide behind it. And, we use it to hide from the truth about ourselves.
Perhaps a new definition of feel would look like this.
- I’m lazy.
- I’m unconcerned.
- I’m regressing.
- I’m off track.
- I prefer not.
- I don’t want to.
- I have other things more pressing.
- I’m tired.
- I’m disinterested.
- I’m rushed.
- I can’t concentrate on it right now.
- I prefer not to.
- I don’t find it important enough right now.
- I choose selfishness.
With a quarter of the year gone, I’m not feeling all that good about the progress I’ve made and feel I should be making some changes. I feel like the next 3 quarters are going to slip through my fingers like so many loose coins.
I can sit here and feel all I want to about it. But, feeling isn’t going to change anything and it’s not going to propel me forward.
Taking inventory is a task, not a lifestyle. It’s time to get up, no matter how I feel, and get busy living into the future I envision for myself.