A Bias Toward Action

“I just don’t feel like it.” How often do you say that? Does it ever become your reason for not doing something you should do? Letting your feelings decide your action or lack of it is a major error. That should never be the case. Leaders need a bias toward action, not thinking or feeling.You may never feel ready and may never be motivated to act or to do or to change. The secret is to be okay with not feeling ready or motivated but to push yourself forward anyway. You can rise above your feelings. As someone has said, “Feelings are like waves—you can’t keep them from coming, but you can choose which ones you surf.” When you rise above your feelings and do it even though you don’t want to, you will watch yourself become the person you want to be, and you will accomplish the goals you have set.Research says that about half of our days, the average person functions on autopilot. We just do what comes naturally and feels natural. We are limited by and held captive to our feelings, habits, whims, and emotions of the moment. Everyone has feelings of self-doubt worry, and fear. We overthink and imagine the worst. Those feelings will short-circuit the necessary action for your success if you run by your emotions.A clear-cut decision to take action may just be the most important thing you do. If your current bias is toward overthinking and waiting for perfect conditions, you will be surprised how quickly your entire life takes an upswing when you switch. Solomon, considered by many to be the wisest man who ever lived, said in his writings in the book of Ecclesiastes, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” (Ecclesiastes 11:4).A bias for action is one of the most necessary traits if you aspire to succeed. A bias for action means that when you have a choice, you choose action over inaction. You don’t wait until everything is 100% optimal. You can’t be criticized; you don’t have enough time. You know the perfect circumstances and perfect time will probably never happen. So, you act.Too many people make promises to themselves and never follow through. They let their feelings and circumstances determine when they become proactive. It doesn’t come naturally to all of us. But it can be developed. How?Two steps:Habituation, which simple means you do the opposite of creating a habit. Whereas a habit is developed by consistently responding to stimuli, habituation is consistently NOT responding to stimuli. In other words, your feelings prompt you to procrastinate, but you consistently rise above those feelings and do it any way.Working constantly on becoming better at acting on ideas and things that interest us. The effort is rewarding, especially when we realize this bias toward action is the #1 key to productivity.