How to Choose Action Even When You Don’t Want To

You have to choose action even when you don’t want to choose action because it is up to you.

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I had to make the donuts – not literally, but figuratively. Although thinking about it now, it would be neat to know how to make donuts. But that is a squirrel for another day.

Today, my donuts were words.

I had to write. What I wanted to do was hunker down under the warmth of my covers.

The yuck that had been trying to crawl over me was still there demanding attention. Fighting it off had left me depleted. I knew that the cold waited to greet me and to add to the draining power of the yuck. So I hid under the covers waiting for my day to start itself.

It turns out that my day doesn’t go far on its own. I have to get up and get going if I want my day to get going.

How to Choose Action for Your Day

Get up the first time. I am convinced that for every time I roll over, it gets harder to get up the next time. If you know you don’t have to get up at your regular time then change your alarm. It’s better to wait to get up than to hit the snooze and dose back off.
As the door turns on its hinges, so does a lazy man turn in his bed.” – Proverbs 26:14

Get ready before bed. Clean out the sink. Pick up that mess. Do one more thing. Sometimes you put off moving forward because you know what lies ahead. Instead of letting dread hold you back, get a jump start on the next day before you call it a night. Waking up will be easier when you know there is one less thing to do.

Get an automatic thermostat. Not only can one of these little gadgets help reduce your electric bill, but it will keep you from having to brave the cold mornings alone. Around here, we keep the house cool for sleeping, which means I have to get out of my warm covers and turn on the heat so it will warm up for everyone else. An automatic thermostat (that lets you set a time for the temperature change) will do that for you.

Get past thinking about it. Just do it already. The more you dwell on the thought the more energy you feed it. If you have to think about something, think about all the amazing things waiting for you when you take that first step into action.
“Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of your hear grows the issues of life.” – Proverbs 4:23

Get support. It goes so much easier when I know there are others cheering me on. The support and encouragement you get from others can be vital to pushing you to take the action you need to get your day going. Besides, it is so much more fun when we do this journey together.

I got up – in part because the donut commercial kept running through my head – but mostly I got up because I wanted to share with you. I know that I am not the only one that struggles some days (even on days when the yuck doesn’t make an appearance). I wanted you to know that you are not alone.

Today, I want to be your encouragement. In reaching out to you, you encouraged me and made me want to choose to push forward.

How else can I be an encouragement for you on this journey? Email me or share your own tips in the comments below.

Be blessed,

Continue to grow up relationships and invest in others

Practical Proverbs offers simple ideas – pulled from the Wisdom of the Proverbs – to live a life of peace, joy, and encouragement.