Stuck in a slump and wondering how to stay motivated?
So you’ve got a dream and goal and plan and while you’ve been working industriously towards it, you’re finding it harder and harder to stay on track and keep going. Sound familiar? We’ve all been there. You’re in a slump, my friend, and you’re wondering how to stay motivated when even the thought of doing anything more seems like way too much effort to bother.
How to Stay Motivated When You’re In A Slump
The first step is to realize that it’s not hopeless! You can and will get through the slump! Even though you don’t feel like doing much of anything right now, you can get your mojo back and get back on track to making your dream a reality. Here are four strategies that you can use to get yourself through those down times…
Strategy #1: Shift your vibe. One of the biggest hurdles we all face when working towards a goal is negative self-talk. That nasty little voice in the back of your mind that insists on reminding you that you’ve never done this before, that it’s too hard, that there’s so much work to do so how will you ever get it all done, that there’s no way you can do this. You know that voice. And if you take a few days to just be aware of all the negative self-talk that you use, you will learn to instantly recognize it. And when it happens, squash it, shift your vibe, and replace it with a better feeling thought. When that voice reminds you how much work there is still to do, think “So what? Look at everything I’ve already managed to accomplish! I’m awesome!” Instead of telling yourself there’s no way you can pull this off, tell yourself “I can totally do this!” It sounds kind of strange, I know… but it works.
Strategy #2: Stick with it. Remember that motivation is cyclical. Motivation has peaks and valleys to it and even though there may be down times, it will always come back if you stick it out. Even though you may feel like you’ve lost your spark as far as your goal goes, don’t give up! This is just a minor bump in the road on your journey to getting what you’re after.
Strategy #3: Immerse yourself. If you’re finding yourself unable to summon up even the tiniest bit of motivation to keep working towards your goal, one of the best things you can do is immerse yourself in it. Eat, sleep and breathe your goal: read a book about it, or the biography of someone who has already achieved what you’re trying to do; leave yourself post-it notes with inspirational quotes or affirmations related to your goal all over your house; review all the progress you’ve already made and celebrate all your successes! Re-inspire yourself! Try to regenerate all the excitement you felt when you started out.
Strategy #4: Start small. When you’re in a slump, it’s hard to focus on the end goal, especially if it’s a larger or longer term goal you’re working towards. So focus on your milestones, instead. Make it a point to take baby steps on a daily basis. If you do just five minutes a day of real action towards your goal, you are still getting closer every day. Keep plugging at it, and you will get there.
Being in a slump is no fun; it’s draining and depressing and can really make you feel like you’re not getting anywhere at all. It can make you feel like giving up on your dream. But if you use these four strategies when you’re wondering how to stay motivated, you’ll survive the slump and be back on track to achieving your goal in no time!
Start small is the key for sure. I know for myself, that if I have an idea, I delve right in without a plan and then I get completely overwhelmed and discouraged…unless I’m manic…LOL.
I still do that myself, so don’t be too hard on yourself! 😉 It’s hard not to dive right in sometimes when you’re really excited about something, isn’t it? I find that if I take the time to make sure I’m clear about the end goal, though, I’m much more likely to be able to keep motivated, get organized, and not get discouraged by those bumps in the road. Have you checked out my Smart Goals post? It’s a method I find really useful for helping me clarify what it is I want and what I need to do to get there.