Do you feel like you’re in a slump?
Yeah, me too.
Things just feel weird, no one has a routine again yet, and we’re all anxious about the future and the unknown.
It’s kind of like the baseball players that get in a hitting slump.
No matter what they do, they just can’t seem to get their bat to make contact with the ball.
They’re in a slump.
Well, if you’re in a slump the obvious next question becomes…
"How the heck do I get out of the slump?”
Well, I don’t have all answers, but what I can do is share what I’m doing to help this summer slump that I know a lot of us are all facing right now.
Here are 5 things I’m doing right now that are helping
Work hard to keep a small morning routine. I’m at about a 4/5 average. Four out of the five days of the week I hit a morning routine. For me that’s about 30 minutes of quiet before the kids get up, a hot cup of coffee, a few pages of whatever book I’m reading and this e-mail written that you read every day. That small chunk of time keeps the routine and I feel like I accomplished something early in the day.
Gratitude. We hear it a lot, but it’s really in times like this that it’s needed. When I feel in a slump, I try to have the self-awareness to notice it, and immediately shift gears to things I’m grateful for. For me right now it’s things like a healthy family, a fun summer, and an amazing team and supportive clients. Things don’t seem as bad when you spend some time outlining what you’re grateful for and it can be the catalyst to getting you out of the slump.
Some you time. Between all the projects going on at the gym, a chaotic summer with the family, clients to serve, a team to serve, and the inbox and phone blowing up, it doesn’t leave much time for me. It’s super important to carve it out. For me, other than the morning routine, it’s about two hours a week right now to workout. It’s not much, I’m going after a result right now, it’s just time to have to myself. Would I like more? Of course. But other things need my attention right now and that’s okay. If you’re feeling in a slump, carve out some “me” time, even if it’s one hour a week.
Small wins. I’m all for raising the bar and having high standards, but when you’re in a slump you need to see success quick, and you need to have a lot of small wins quick. Look for the small wins. Create actions that can result in a small win. That satisfaction can carry you out of the slump.
Surround yourself with your positive people. Most of my day is spent in meetings, on the phone, or behind my inbox. I make sure I carve out time each week to talk to the people in my life that are always positive, that see the other side of it. It may be a good conversation with a team member or a client, or it might be calling up my mentor to have him talk though things with me. Either way, trying to get out of a slump alone is impossible. Surround yourself with positive people.
Any who, that’s what on my mind this morning.
Anyone else relate?
I’d love to hear how you’re doing, just hit reply and I’ll be here.
1% Better.
Dedicated to Your Success,
Doug Spurling