In another blog post, I talked about the power of being able to create any productive feeling, on demand. This is what gets your work done, and has you enjoying the process, too.

It may have caught your eye that I use the word “productive” instead of “positive” to describe feelings.

Productive feelings move you closer to your desired results; unproductive feelings keep you stagnant or move you further away from your desired results.

But productive feelings don’t always feel pleasant; and sometimes unproductive feelings feel damn good. This is why I don’t say “positive” or “negative.”

For example, justified can feel pretty great in the moment but not get you what you ultimately want, while acceptance can feel uncomfortable but fuel your progress. Processing grief feels awful but moves you forward, and craving relief can feel nice but leads to giving up on your dreams. Being absorbed in endless hours of social media scrolling feels pleasant but often has a net negative effect in your life, while nervousness feels unpleasant but keeps you stretching and growing.

All feelings are natural. First, we welcome and acknowledge them; then we separate the helpful ones from the unhelpful ones.

Here are some very common unproductive feelings, and how they likely show up throughout your week:

• Bored: “This is sooo tedious.”
• Resentful: “I don’t want to do it.”
• Inadequate: “I need to prove myself.”
• Helpless: “This is too hard.”
• Justified: “This can wait”
• Resigned: “I can’t make it work.”
• Lackadaisical: “I guess this is the best I can do.”
• Rigid: “It’s not going according to plan.”
• Overwhelmed: “There’s too much to do.”
• Ashamed: “I didn’t do it right.”
• Confused: “I have no idea where to start.”

How would your business change if you were able to halve the amount of time that it takes you to pinpoint and move through any unproductive feeling?

And in the process, we’ll get you creating more productive feelings, like adaptable, resilient, tenacious, determined, accepting, and trusting.

To get started, join the Pique email list below.You’ll receive invitations to future Monday Hour One 5-Day Challenges and free Monday Hour One workshops.

You’ll also get the free guide: 5 Reasons Your Projects are Half-Finished Yet.