Even the best, most ambitious people find it hard to get things done sometimes. Motivation doesn’t exactly greet us every morning or even make attempts to show up at the front door and ring the bell. Many days can be a struggle to reach goals and meet deadlines. Occasionally, the motivation just isn’t there and we let the “slumpiness” take over our usually powerful and productive selves.
Well, there’s help. The first step to getting out of a slump is to discover why you’re in one, in the first place. To do that, you must ask yourself the right questions. Here are some questions to consider when you’re in a slump:
1. Are you tired?
Many times, when you’re lacking food, exercise, sleep, or proper nutrition, you will feel sick and tired. You need to work, but you can’t do so effectively until you take care of your body on a regular basis. And regular means being consistent.
You can’t eat healthy for a week and then eat junk for the next three weeks. Your body will respond better to consistent care, than it will to sporadic treatments.
2. Are you in the middle of something?
Some say, beginning a project is the hardest. That may be true for many, but I tend to disagree. Continuing a project for any length of time is the hardest part.
Usually, you’re excited at the start and then there’s a mad dash when you get close to the end. In the middle, is where most of us lose it. It isn’t so much as packing for a trip or arriving at the destination, that concerns most of us; it’s how long the journey in between is, that causes us to quit or never even begin.
3. What are you focused on?
Focusing on too many projects at once can ruin your motivation. You may think you are, but you’re not an acrobat. At least, I’m not. You only have so much time and so much energy to dedicate to any one thing.
If you focus on one thing and get it done before moving on to the next thing, you will feel better about each task and each one has the potential of being more successful. Multitasking is, quite honestly, a curse.
4. Who are you focused on?
Often, when you don’t know where to start or how to start, it can be a good idea to ask someone else, if they need help. A focus on one’s self can be draining. A focus on the needs of others or on someone else’s project may be just the impetus and fuel you need to refresh yourself and begin working on your own.
5. Are you procrastinating?
Procrastination will throw you into a slump faster than you think. If you’re dreading something you know you should complete, you’re not really helping yourself by just thinking about it. After the dread is gone, the project will still be there.
If the dread stays around longer than it should, the project will still be there. The only way to “un-dread” yourself is to stop procrastinating and get to work. You will find that once you get into the project, the dread was all for nothing.
6. What is your confidence level?
Usually, when we’re in a slump, our confidence levels are very low. When you lack conviction, you usually don’t know when to move or what direction to move into.
You’re scared to do anything because this will usually eject you from your comfort zone. The way to raise your level of confidence is to step out and do something. Appreciate your own abilities and believe that you can do the thing you set your mind to.
In the act of overcoming our “slumpiness”, we find ourselves, move past our limits, gain a little more ground each day, and become our own personal heroes.
“As you begin to live according to your own guidance and your own daring everything changes completely.” – Leonard Willoughby
