How to Overcome the ‘I Don’t Feel Like It’ Demon

On Saturday, I was writing some notes for the Sunday school lesson I taught recently. Then I remembered that it was one of my exercise days.

“Ugh,” I thought. “I don’t feel like it.”

Back in the day, that would have been the end of it; if I didn’t feel like it, I simply wouldn’t do it. That morning, though, another voice answered “I don’t feel like it” with a question: “Does that mean that you are not going to do it?”

I laughed to myself. “Ha, ha! No—that just means I’ll do it, but I won’t feel like it!”

You see, what I’ve come to learn is that “I don’t feel like it” only lasts a moment—if I take action. Unfortunately, I’ve also learned that if I listen to that voice, it will influence my whole day. I’ll develop a pattern of procrastination—which naturally occurs when you have a habit of obeying “I don’t feel like it.”

This pattern has destroyed many peoples’ dreams. It starts out stealing days, then weeks, then months, then finally years. “I don’t feel like it” tricks people into thinking they have all the time in the world. They find out too late—they don’t!

However, when you take action, no matter how small, you tell “I don’t feel like it” to get lost. Because you make him unimportant, he has no choice but to leave. In the case of my workout this morning, my mind shifted to getting the job done. Even though I didn’t feel like it at the beginning, by the end of the workout I felt good!

Instead of ending up with regret (which I would have if I had obeyed “I don’t feel like it”), I ended up with the pleasure of accomplishment. 

To clarify, if I was feeling ill, then I might have just stretched a bit and taken the day off. But I was just feeling lazy. It was a case of “a body at rest tends to stay at rest.” However, you also learned in school that “a body in motion tends to stay in motion.” To stay fit and healthy, keeping your body in motion is essential. 

“I don’t feel like it” knows that it takes energy to shift from rest to motion. So he does everything possible to keep you from shifting gears!

But all it takes to outsmart him is to stand up, put your shoes on, and start taking those initial movements. You exert energy to shift gears to motion, and when you do that, he has lost!

If you still don’t feel like it after moving for 10 minutes, then feel good about that, declare victory and stop. However, I’ve learned that it really is just pushing past that initial resistance—just like shifting gears in a car.

Another way to shift gears is to ask yourself, “Is this something I could do and should do?”

If it is something that you physically could do, then do it. But what if it is something that you should do but are afraid to do it? Watch out! In the Bible, fear was what kept the lazy man from taking action in Proverbs 22:13: “The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside! I shall be slain in the streets!” In other words, he allowed false fears to keep him from experiencing real results in his life.

“I don’t feel like it” could be playing upon some secret fear you have about taking action. But don’t let fear win. Scripture promises, ”I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

Live according to your faith, not according to your fear. Stop letting “I don’t feel like it” have a voice in your life. That is the only way you can live a life that pleases God—and have a life full of rewards rather than regrets!

Kimberly Taylor is the author of The Weight Loss Scriptures and many other books. Once 240 pounds and a size 22, she can testify of God’s goodness and healing power. Visit takebackyourtemple.com and receive more free health and weight-loss tips.