Losing your proactive edge to a funk kills passion. You may have lost motivation. Your inspiration for a project may be coming to a standstill. That hobby you began three months ago may no longer feel worthwhile.
Remember, folks – you are not alone. Everyone deals with this.
For a driven person, an emotional funk is disheartening. Maintaining optimism is taxing on both the mind and body. Due to principle, passion, and routine you itch for your former enthusiasm. Yet you have lost that edge that once drove you. That determination you utilized while reaching your goals is no longer within reach.
Fortunately, ridding yourself of this feeling is possible. Your passion matters – don’t let a funk diminish your goals. Gain back your drive. Fight against the slump with these tips.
1. Not everything you produce will be perfect.
Why should perfection be the ultimate goal? Don’t let this ancient notion guide your actions.
Consider your favorite activity. Are you a hiker? Perhaps you spend your downtime painting portraits of sunsets and natural wonders. No matter your hobby, ask yourself this: is it healthy? Do the process and outcome of the activity benefit your personal well-being? Finally, decide whether it makes you happy.
If so, the activity is worth your effort.
As a runner, are you required to run 5 miles in 20 minutes or less? Of course not! Perhaps you prefer daylong hiking trips. Should you feel pressured to reach the mountain top in a span of 2 hours? Not at all.
Are you a creative soul? Consider your recent portrait. Maybe that picture hasn’t provided you proper inspiration to begin. Does that mean you should paint it to appeal to another? Should you paint what doesn’t move you to appeal to a preconceived notion of your work? Definitely not.
Whether you are a writer, exercise-enthusiast, or a web developer you will not always produce perfection. You can aim for it, but your goal should please you in the end. Don’t let an idealistic notion dissuade your efforts. Pursuing perfection will only hold you back.
2. Critiques – they can help, or break you down trying.
For the most part, critiques are beneficial. They provide advice, prime solutions, and prove useful when an appropriate synonym for the word ‘happy’ has escaped your mind.
Yet critiques can just as easily damage your productivity. Too much criticism – though constructive – can obliterate your faith. Once that motivation is gone, retrieving it will prove a tricky slope to climb.
Tweet ThisWith the right thought and meaning, a critique can help. Still, without proper attention criticism can lose its constructive edge. In the wrong hands, a criticism can turn cruel. When suggestions turn toxic, be cautious. When they start to wear on your motivation, step back; ponder its importance.
In the end, you must care for yourself. You know your value, the critic may not.
3. Mistakes are inevitable.
Perfectionism is an ill-fated goal to pursue. In life, you must leave room for mistakes. Those dips keep you mentally and emotionally strong. Humans are naturally imperfect – to be unique is simply part of being human.
If you are good at something and have lost sight of new challenges, you must seek them out! Ask to take on new responsibilities at work. Try a new fitness routine. Test yourself – take on an exciting new challenge.
Embrace your beginning mistakes. Learn from them, and take your newfound knowledge with you to the next step. Remain open-minded and accept that you are bound to mess up. Persevere. Try again.
By remaining positive you will already be a step ahead.
4. Running into hurdles is a universal feat.
Lulls are okay – normal, in fact. Persevering through it all is tough. But doing so without hitting a metaphorical brick wall is naive.
No matter your motivation or passion to move forward, you will eventually stop. Not completely, but the stagnation may progress longer than you would expect. Fortunately, this happens to everyone. From accomplished writers, to NFL players, to high-class businessmen – people aren’t mean to run on a continuous loop.
Sadly, folks burn out quick. Caffeine can only do so much before its influences loses momentum in the human body.
So the next time you hit a wall, talk to those around you. They just might be in the same boat.
5. Your rough ideas may not make the cut.
Thought you would write an eloquent poem for a loved one’s sympathy card? Maybe you found out later the final product was completely different than the draft you first produced.
Don’t worry, this is common.
Folks process things through evaluation. Think about a possibility, consider it, and tweak it until it reaches a satisfied level of completeness. This goes for most everything you tackle in life. You make plans, and revise them until they eventually coincide with everyone else involved. Those first ideas you set out to accomplish? They are still tangible and significant – they have simply become more concise.
By revising your ideas over time, you will eventually reach a mutually satisfying decision.
Get Rid of Your Funk
Whether you are a highly motivated, positive, or productive individual, your motivation has limits. Rather than sulking from apathy in such situations, you should take steps to turn your circumstance around. Take hold of your goals and keep moving.
Procrastination should only stop you for so long.
Don’t let a funk stop your progress. Your ambitions are worth the perseverance.
Yes, Yes, Yes!!! I love this piece! Amazingly written!
Change is possible! Baby steps are fine, we just have to keep plugging along until we reach our goal! It’s up to us! 🙂
Thank you!
I agree. Ultimately, we are in control.
We can’t let our worries about perfectionism and critics take over.