Everyone can get into a rut. What starts as one day where you don’t
get much done, can turn into a week or two. Avoiding these streaks of
laziness is the best solution, but what can you do when you’re stuck?
Getting Unstuck
The best way to get unstuck is to figure out how you got stuck in the
first place. If you drive your car into a snowbank, the best way to get
out is to get outside and look at the problem. But despite this
suggestion, the first reaction is often to step on the gas, wasting more
energy as you get even more stuck.
There are many ways you can get yourself into a streak of laziness. But I’ve found there are three big culprits that often cause you to get stuck, even though most people only blame one of them.
1 – Low Energy
1 – Low Energy
A common source of laziness is simply being drained. This is a silent
cause of getting stuck, because human’s aren’t equipped with a fuel
gauge. Until you’ve been running on empty for miles, it’s often hard to
see that your procrastination is caused by a lack of fuel.
Whenever I’ve been stuck for more than a few days in a row, there are
a few questions I try to ask myself to see whether a lack of energy is
the problem:
- Have my eating or exercising habits changed in the last month? Even small changes can lead to an impact in your energy levels that you might not notice immediately.
- Have my sleeping patterns changed in the last month? Fewer hours of sleep or lower quality sleep can mean you start each day with less energy.
- Have other areas of my life added extra stress? Unfortunately, you’re only drawing fuel out of one tank, so if one area of your life is siphoning it away, you won’t have much left.
The solution to a low energy crisis is to fix whatever is the source
of the drain. This isn’t always easy to do, but sometimes it is
necessary. If you’re not getting enough sleep, you might need to set
that as a priority before you try to drive out of your slump.
2 – Forgotten Motivation
Why are you doing this again? Every project usually begins with
inspiration. However, if you’re working the same tasks for months, some
of the initial motivation for starting might be gone. Your big plans get
replaced with smaller frustrations and it can be hard to find the
motivation to keep going.
If there were good reasons to get started, there are probably good
reasons to continue. Spending time to go through those reasons again can
help you bring back your past motivation. If you’ve been stuck for more
than a few days, this is a step that can’t be easily washed over. I’d
suggest spending at least an hour or two going through your plans,
long-term vision and initial motivation before you try to get unstuck.
Sometimes, however you’ll try to retrace your initial motivation and
realize it’s not there. In this case, you stumble onto the third culprit
for a slump.
3 – It’s Not Worth It
You don’t like the work. You can’t see a long-term vision from the
work. You can’t find a reason to be productive. This is a genuine reason
to be in a slump. While a lack of energy or motivation can be a
temporary road block, when you face this challenge, you truly are stuck.
When you reach this point, I think there are only two choices you can make in order to get unstuck:
- Quit.
- Keep going, but design your exit strategy.
The first solution is just to quit right there. I’ve done this before
on project where the motivating reasons to continue couldn’t be found
again. I’ve also done this with jobs that I had no motivating reasons to
get started in the first place. Quitting isn’t a dishonorable move when
staying means you’re draining your life away.
Unfortunately, quitting may not be so easy. Even if you can’t find an
inspiring long-term vision connected to the work, you might be attached
for short-term reasons. When this happens, many people try to ignore
the long-term desert staying affords them and grudgingly accept what
needs to be done.
I don’t think ignoring is an option. If you ignore your slump will
only get worse. It may even get worse to the point that you can’t even
continue your work for short-term reasons.
I think the only acceptable third-alternative is to continue for the
short-term, but plan an exit strategy. If you’re in a career you don’t
like, this might mean something drastic like getting new training on the
side. If your crisis is smaller, it might mean finishing a project that
drains you by planning a better project on the side.
If you can fit your current situation into your long-term vision via
an exit strategy, you have a chance to get out of your slump. When I
needed to take work I didn’t enjoy before I could support myself through
a small business, I used my exit strategy as a means of motivating
myself throughout the unenjoyable work.
I’ve listed the three major culprits of a slump in this order,
because I think they are the order you need to check. Not every slump is
a crisis that means you hate your work. It can be, but I’ve found being
drained or temporarily losing your motivation can be equal enemies in a
slump.
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