Sow What with Anna McGuire
Sow What with Anna McGuire
How to Do the Things I Don’t Feel Like Doing
When I say "things" I mean tasks or actions that are good for me.
Even though I KNOW the 'doing' is good, it isn't enough to move me to action.
So how do we do the things that are good for us that we don't feel like doing? That's the focus of today's conversation!
www.mrsannamcguire.com
Hey friend, welcome back to another episode of The sowhat podcast. My name is Anna McGuire. And I'm so excited to have a conversation with you today about sowing intentionally into our lives so that we can reap abundantly in the days, weeks, months, and even years to come. There are things some days, I simply do not feel like doing, whether it be waking up, or getting work done. There are things I just I don't want to do, I don't feel like it. When I'm talking about things that I don't feel like doing in this episode, I'm specifically talking about things that are good for me doing things that are good for me. So I'm not talking about not wanting to do things that are like a procedure or enduring something that is harmful or painful. I'm talking about I don't feel like doing things that are good for me. Whether it be again, getting up early, drinking enough water, having the hard conversation with a friend tasks or daily actions that benefit me that do something good for my life that helped me to so intentionally so that I can later reap abundantly. And if I'm again, being honest, these things I know, I know. I know that they're good for me, but that knowing doesn't always help me or motivate me to feel like actually doing it. There is a man named Oliver Berkman, and he wrote a book called The antidote happiness for people who can't stand positive thinking. And he talks about this idea of feeling like doing something like thinking like, I just can't get out of bed early in the morning, or I just can't get myself to exercise. You know, what he talks about is that what we're really saying is that we can't get ourselves to feel like doing these things. Because after all, like if it's waking up early enough, nobody is actually tying you to your bed or there's no like bouncers blocking the door at the gym. Like there's physically nothing stopping you from doing these things. You just honestly don't feel like doing it. And Berkman asks this question, who says you need to wait until you feel like doing something in order to start doing it? When I think about that for a minute, because it's I think it's important to stop and pause and think about it is because somewhere along the way, I've bought into this idea we've bought into this idea, maybe without consciously realizing that that in order to be motivated or effective, we need to feel like taking action, we need to feel like doing the good thing. Like we have to be passionate about it or have a ton of energy to do it. And honestly, I don't know why we believe this because I think it's kind of silly. Yes, on some level, you need to be committed to what you're doing, and you want to enjoy it. But honestly, you need to look at the finish. Like what is it that I'm hoping that this accomplishes, because obviously what I'm doing right now isn't getting me to where I want to go. So I need to start doing things that I don't quote unquote, feel like doing to get me to the place I want to be. I love this book, I read it during an internship several years ago, what got you here won't get you there. And basically, it's around that whole premise is like, Okay, if you're wanting to grow and go to the next level, whether in any area in any arena of your life, what got you to this place isn't going to get you to the next place. So you've got to do something new. And a lot of times it can be doing things you don't feel like doing. You don't feel like doing it. And I'm here to just share a little bit, the importance of doing those things that we don't feel like doing, you know, I've noticed in my life is that a lot of times the reason why I don't feel like doing something is because it's uncomfortable. Like I don't feel like getting up my goal. I'm sharing this with you guys.
My goal is I would love to one day be like a 5am Wake up person. I love to be like, even before my alarm goes off, like be up at five and start my morning routine. And can I tell you like I don't feel like doing that. Like I'm, I'm still like contending to wake up at 6am every day. And but with that, like, I know that it's uncomfortable. Like right now if I were to start setting my alarm for like 445 450 It's uncomfortable, or starting a new workout routine or a nutrition program or a mentorship or having a conversation with somebody that you need to have a conversation with. Like it can be really uncomfortable like, and so that leads to I don't feel like doing that, because it's uncomfortable. You know, our brains are wired in such a way to avoid the things that are painful or incomplete. for us. So we may not realize it that a lot of times we are making decisions based on comfort now what is actually good for you and me. I love this quote, I don't even know where it originated from. I've heard it a ton of times over the years. But it's this idea that nothing changes if nothing changes. And I think there's another way of putting that is that, hey, if we don't do things that we don't feel like doing, we aren't going to get to the place that we want to go. I was doing a workout the other day and the instructor leading the workout, she said something so good. She said, Change can't happen without discomfort. I was like, Ooh, that is a message right there. And I was like, little does she know that I'm actually preparing to talk about this, I'm going to use that quote. But nothing changes, like discomfort is the place where we begin to see change in our life. When we move past what it is, we actually feel like doing versus you know, pressing ahead and doing the things that we don't feel like doing. So maybe today, you're here and you're listening, and you're putting something off because you don't feel like it. Like you don't feel like doing that thing. Remember that you actually don't need to feel like it there's there's nothing physically stopping you. Your feeling is just a feeling and feelings can be deceitful. So this is something that I've been practicing. Lately, because I've been wanting to level up in my habits and just my everyday life when I feel like veggie nowt on HGTV, or I feel like veggie not on my phone or whatever it may be, I have to tell myself, you know, and I don't feel like digging into the book or working on the message or working on my podcast, I have to tell myself, No, I might not feel like that right now. Like that might not be something I want to do. But I want the feeling that follows it. So this is what I've been practicing is I want to feel refreshed. So I'm going to turn off the TV and go to bed. Do I actually want to turn off the TV and go to bed in that moment, I don't feel like doing that. I feel like sitting on my couch and watching TV. But I want to feel refreshed. So I will turn off the TV and go to bed. Another one I want to feel stronger. So I'm going to work out. I want to hear from the Lord. Like I want to feel the presence of Jesus. So I will wake up the extra few minutes to get into the Word. So I begin to transport myself to the future and the feelings that I want to have in the future. And then I come back to the now. And I do the actions here. And now. Megan Valentine. She's one of my mentors. She says it this way. And I love it. She says lead from the future and act in the now. Okay, what is that future feeling I want, I want to feel refreshed, I want to feel stronger. I want to feel healthier. I want to feel emotionally stable in this relationship. I want to feel the presence of Jesus, I want to feel like I know Jesus's direction for my life. Okay, what do I want to feel in the future? And what does that require of me in the here and now. So I look at the desired feeling, the outcome feeling of doing the things that comes from doing the things that I don't actually feel like doing right now.
I don't feel like turning off the TV. I don't feel like getting into this book, I don't feel like working out I don't feel like waking up earlier, to have a solid routine, whatever it may be, I guess I don't necessarily feel like doing those things. But you know what I do want to feel I want to feel refreshed, I want to feel stronger. I want my relationships to feel healthy. I want to feel the presence of Jesus. And because I want to feel those things. I choose to act in the now lead from the future act in the now. So even though I don't feel like doing X, Y and Z, I feel my way into action. I transport myself to what do I want to feel as the result of doing this action? And I'll tell you what, that has been so motivating for me personally, to act in the now to have some motivation of yep, that's what I desire. I desire to reap abundantly. So that means I'm going to have to sow intentionally in the here and now. So what do we do when we don't feel like doing something? This is what I have found so helpful for me is I have to remind myself Nothing is physically stopping me. And the second thing is, is I have to practice. What is it that I want to feel, remembering that future feeling that I want, and then I come back, and I act in the now I lead from the future, and act in the now. Again, as you're listening to this, I want you to be reminded that you don't actually need to feel like doing something that is good for you to actually do it. You can choose to lead from the future and action now think about what it is that you desire, what those future feelings you want. And then come and act in the here and now there is nothing physically stopping you. Lead from the future action, the now practice telling yourself, this is how I will feel if I choose to do this, even if I don't feel like doing it. And here's the cool thing. The more and more you do it, the easier it becomes. The more you do it, the easier it becomes and you know, it's gonna be really cool is the things that you once didn't feel like doing. Will, you'll become more natural, like feeling like doing it and then you'll level up again and there'll be new things you don't feel like doing because you're growing and you're evolving and you're maturing, because we're all on that journey. It's a lifelong journey of growing, evolving, maturing as individuals. Friend, I am always in your corner, and I am cheering you on and I believe even when you don't feel like it if you choose to sow intentionally, you will reap abundantly. I love you so much friend. I can't wait to talk to you next week.