Emotions are helpful.

Sometimes.

When you’re having one of those “feel good” luxuriate days, they’re great.

Good feeling begets good feeling.  I’m rested, exercised, and well-fed — I can conquer the world. 

Or at least get my work done.  And done well.  With speed and efficiency and joy.

But then there are other days.

I’ve not slept enough. I’ve had too much or too little to eat. I’m sad. I don’t feel well.

Emotionally spent.

That’s real.  It’s not fun.  I’d rather sit on the couch with the dogs or crawl under the covers with a book. Have a do-nothing-pajama-day.

But emotions cannot be allowed to rule this day.

If my job required a punch clock, emotions wouldn’t be allowed to rule my day.  My line supervisor would know I was MIA. I’d get a write-up. A warning. A demerit.  A pink slip.

But I don’t have a punch clock.  (Neither do most of you.) No one will really know if I’ve done my work today. Or not.  If I don’t do my work for a few weeks, clients will figure it out and fire me.  But the daily grind?  That’s my fight to win or lose.

The key is showing up no matter how I feel about it.

Consistency matters.

0 missed days.  That’s the goal.

Whether I feel like it or not.