Although at times it can be difficult, I try as often as I can to do some thorough self-reflection. That ranges from appreciating my successes to questioning myself as to why I conducted myself certain ways at any particular time - normally, this comes in the form of me questioning why I did something that I felt was unbecoming of who I am trying to be..
Throughout my recent reflections, if it’s one thing I’ve learned about myself over the past few months it is that I thrive off of momentum. I look at momentum as the driving force behind me being able to accomplish my tasks. If I get on a roll I can be the most productive person in the world! But when I’m unable to catch that momentum, I’m about as good as a flat tire. I can still go round and round, but I’m probably not getting very far.
Whether that is riding around the city running errands, cleaning the house, or installing an art exhibition, once I get on a roll, I don’t want to stop! As a creative person, my creativity and productivity comes in spurts - if I am rolling and I’m having good ideas, I HATE when I get interrupted because it messes up the momentum. Luckily, I can normally step back, reset, and keep going. But honestly, sometimes it’s hard...
Have you ever started off the day accomplishing everything you set out to do and then you take a lunch break, come back and everything is just thrown off? When I’m working (which is from the home office right now), sometimes I get into really bad slumps in which I’m just staring at my screen waiting to catch my groove. But, that groove doesn’t come automatically, I usually have to do something to get going. That could mean sitting in my beanbag chair (making me sit lower to the ground and completely changing my posture), moving downstairs and working in the living room (changing my scenery), or just completely shifting gears and executing some tasks I know I am capable of completing at that time (E.I. grabbing my white board and just brainstorming some upcoming tasks or scouring the internet for a new artist I may want to work with in the future).
Point being, even during a slump it is important to do everything in your power to stay productive. Even if you’re unable to finish something you really wanted to complete that day, it is better to get something done rather than nothing.
But look, let's imagine that on a more universal scale. Imagine you have a goal of exercising everyday in order to get back in shape (an ongoing goal of mine 😅).
You build momentum day in and day out, getting up early, getting in that rhythm and mindset of, ‘okay everyday I’m going to get up and go do this one thing’... But then you have a really late night and so you sleep in and miss the early morning workout. For someone like me, sometimes that one slip up can be enough to throw off my momentum and I won’t get up early to exercise for the rest of the week. That will then perpetuate a horrible cycle of not exercising at all for a while!
We see this cycle come into play when we try and complete other activities that take a high level of discipline such as: journaling, reading, painting, exploring your city, cleaning your home regularly, etc.
We can easily slide into these funks in-which we just stop doing things that bring us joy and/or provide us with positive outcomes, all because we’ve lost our momentum.
In situations such as this, I really have to catch myself. It’s important to recognize when you’re in a slump that way you can work towards pulling yourself out of it.
When I enter a slump, I start by acknowledging it and then forgiving myself. Beating up on yourself only makes it harder to move in the right direction. Then, there is a spark of spontaneity - for example, if I’ve been needing to go exercise, I might get dressed in my workout gear and go for a run right then and there no matter what time of day it is. After that, I try and change my mentality and set attainable goals, so that I can make my aspirations a reality. It’s not realistic to go from not working out 3 weeks straight, to then go back to exercising everyday. But it is realistic to exercise once a week, then twice a week, then three times a week, and so on.
It’s not easy to build momentum, but it’s easy to lose it. That’s why it’s important to take simple steps in order to regain it.
Do you all feel me on this one? We’ve all been there - I find myself here day in and day out. But I lowkey find comfort in knowing that I am not alone in this (especially during these pandemic times).
Let me know what your process is to gain momentum back!
-Thomas
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