In a Slump? Here Are 4 Steps to Break Out of It!
There are times in your life when you feel like you’re at a crossroads. Especially when you face a personal or business challenge or some upheaval caused by unexpected change.
You start to question everything. You wonder if you made the right choices. You worry that your run of good fortune has run out of steam.
You may even start to brace yourself for a life of struggle and desperation.
I am well aware of this feeling. I have experienced it first hand too.
At times like these, you have a choice:
- You can give up and resign yourself to poverty and living under a bridge
- Or … you can decide to build a bridge to a brighter future.
In one scenario, you give up and let traffic (and the circumstances of the world) run you over and keep you down.
With the other choice, you use your unique creative skills to:
- Imagine a new vision
- Craft new plans
- Ingrain new thought patterns
- Take inspired action
Great. So you have come to the conclusion that building a bridge is much better than choosing to live under one. But, perhaps you’re not feelin’ it and you don’t know where to start.
Here are four quick questions that can help you make progress:
1) Have you felt this way before?
Can you think of a time in your life when you felt down, frustrated, or fearful that your glory days were all behind you?
Of course, this isn’t the first time you’ve felt this way. You’ve probably encountered this situation numerous times before.
But what happened in the past? Did the worse-case scenario always come to fruition?
Looking back on it now, I bet you rose above and ended up doing just fine in the long run. You handled it then (and probably grew stronger from it) and you will rise to the occasion again!
Deep down you know this is true.
2) Is it really all that bad?
Sure, you’re not happy with the way things are going this week, this month, or this year. This was not part of your plan and it’s grinding you down. I get it.
But in the vast scope of things, is your situation really all that horrible?
Half of the world’s population lives on less than $2.50 USD a day ($75 a month).
I’m sure I don’t need to drudge up statistics on starvation, poverty, and other travesties to make you realize that you really have it pretty good, overall.
I’m not suggesting you should play small or settle for wherever you are now. But maybe being depressed about your current situation isn’t the most appropriate response.
3) What do you really want?
Regardless of the details that are getting you down, one thing is certain: Your frustration stems from a consistent focus on what’s wrong.
You may not even realize it, but you are constantly replaying in your mind what isn’t working.
Doing so is keeping you stuck there!
I’ve never believed that sticking my head in the sand or ignoring problems was the solution. You must recognize and accept your circumstances.
But then you must spend even more time getting clear about what you really want.
- What’s your ultimate preferred outcome?
- How do you want to feel when you actually build that bridge?
Spend time and energy on where you are going, not where you are!
Acknowledge where you are, but replace the incessant doomsday chatter with a positive vision of what you want to achieve.
4) What baby steps can you take today or this week?
Sometimes we do need to take a break and lick our wounds. But, you won’t work your way out of the funk until movement takes place.
That means you must begin with tiny actions to move you toward the outcome you desire.
These actions don’t have to be massive at first. If you’re ready to play big, go for it. If not, taking baby steps can do wonders for your psyche and forward progress.
So, choose three simple things you can do today or this week to move toward your bridge-building goal.
Are you ready to climb out of the shadows? Are you ready to build a bridge?
Are you eager to see where the bridge takes you? Or will you settle for living under one?
I’d love your thoughts on this!
Please leave a comment, give this article a clap or five :) and share it with someone who would benefit from reading it.
This is Day 29 of my 30-Day Blog Writing Challenge.
Images above by Dana Tentis, Lorri Lang, and Pexels via Pixabay.
Bob Baker helps musicians, authors, artists, and creative entrepreneurs use their talents and know-how to make a living and make a difference in the world!
Listen to his Creative Entrepreneur or Music Marketing podcasts.
Check out Bob’s books on Amazon and follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
He also creates affirmation and guided meditation recordings on his YouTube channel, Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp, and other platforms.
