Written by Karen D. Swim
It happens to the best of us. Your get up and go gets up and well goes. You feel lethargic and uninspired. Your creative muse hides out leaving you in the lurch. You try to break through the funk but it’s like trying to climb out of quick sand with a rope slathered in Vaseline. No need to fear Batman, you can reclaim your mojo with these three quick tips.
- Shake it up. Nothing cures a case of the uninspired than shaking it up a little. Change your dull dreary routine. If you work at home, pack up that laptop and take it to a new location for the day. If you work in an office, take a different route to work, try a new coffee run along the way. Wear a different color or style of clothing. Instead of hopping on the dreadmill at the gym, take a spinning class. Try something new. Little changes in your day or routine can renew your energy and change your perspective.
- Level it out. An out of balance life is the number one killer of passion. If your flame has flickered your schedule may be to blame. Have you become all work and no play? Does your family communicate with you only through text messages? Are you sucking down lattes and red bulls to make it through long and getting longer work days? You may be in need of a time out. Block out some time to take a walk in the park, see a movie, get a massage or have a meal with friends (a real meal with real friends, not a microwave meal while you Twitter). Take a day off and play hooky with the family. Now that you’ve had some time away, take a hard look at your schedule. What can you delegate? What things can be moved to “ignore” list? Moving forward, what shifts can you make in your schedule to keep your life in a better balance?
- Exercise your gifts and talents. We gain energy by expending it. Gifts and talents that go unused drain your spirit of energy leaving you feeling unfulfilled and tired. If you are in a job that does not make use of your gifts or talents, you may find yourself bored and listless. It may not be practical to quit but you can find creative ways to put that talent to use. Take a class, volunteer, join a group or simply make time to indulge your talent during non-working hours. If your job is really out of sync, make time to work on a career transition. A career or life coach can be invaluable in helping you develop a strategy for major transitions.
From time to time we all need to recharge our batteries. Even when life is going great, breaking up the routine helps to keep us fresh and inspired. If your work and talents are in sync, exercise them in new ways to prevent burnout. Anyone can fall into a rut from time to time but the good news is you don’t have to remain there.
How do you shake off the doldrums? Have you ever discovered a new passion or hobby while trying to shake out of a rut? Share your rut busting stories or tips in the comments. If you have never commented, shake it up a little and offer your thoughts. 🙂