Always remember that if you are waiting for something to “feel” right, you’ll only continue to wait
“One of the biggest myths as it relates to taking action is that you need to feel ready to do so. Chazal understood this concept and therefore teach us two ideas. The first is “mitzvah goreres mitzvah.” When a person performs a mitzvah, i.e., takes action, it doesn’t just stand alone. It changes a person, making them more inclined and motivated toward further positive action.
Chazal also teach “lefum tzaara agra,” which means, “According to the effort is the reward.” This implies that inner transformation and growth come through exertion itself, not merely through emotional readiness. The recipe for success and attaining the next mitzvah is to initially feel the discomfort and then do the task — and the reward for that is proportional to the level of pain.
I often teach my clients this principle: “Readiness” is not a feeling, but a decision. When we face a new or uncomfortable situation, taking action may feel scary, so we tend to procrastinate. Our brain is constantly calculating how to keep you safe, so it will make predictions such as, “If you do this, you might embarrass yourself,” or “No one will take you seriously,” or “You might mess up and cause damage.” This is more likely to happen in a new situation because your brain doesn’t have data to show you evidence of past successes.
When you experience uncertainty about something, your brain references the past. If you have a history of frequently procrastinating or terminating action due to discomfort, your brain will use this as proof you shouldn’t act. This is the reason why fear creates resistance to act and why motivation comes only after we take action.
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