Slip Out of Your Slump

I don’t think I am the only one… have you noticed that quite a few people seem to be in a slump lately. I think we… they are coming out of it now. It’s almost like a New Year’s hangover gone long-term. Energy, motivation, determination, clarity seem to be a bit off. Not everywhere and everyone; but a noticeable number of people seem to be “slumping.”

Is “slumping” even a word? Probably not, but I think you know what I mean. And I’m not talking about the economy or the real estate market here; but people in general. Everyday folk like you and me, just a little less sharp than we could be and have been.

A quick observation, by the way, on the real estate market. I had coffee this morning with a realtor friend of mine, who has four homes in escrow right now; so she’s doing quite well, thank you. She summed up the market nicely by saying, “It is a normal market. People are selling. People are buying. Buyers have to put money down and qualify… and lenders are loaning. What’s the problem?”

So we talked about what we think part of the problem is and we both agreed that much of it is the media. The news loves to focus on negativity, loss and disaster. How five percent of home mortgages gone bad is destroying the economy. My friend, who does not listen to this news, is positioned for a great year. Perhaps those who are slumping are spending too much time “catching up with what’s happening in the world?”

I am digressing form my main point and I don’t want to infer that watching cable news causes a slump. There’s more to it than that.

Whatever the cause of this frumpy, slumpy, not getting much done feeling; here are some ideas on how to get out of it. How do I know these ideas work? Two reasons. First, this is what I do for a living; I help people get unstuck. They may be working against their grain, they may be held down by their emotions, they may just be feeling a bit negative, sad, or angry. NLP, hypnotherapy, Kolbe assessments all get it done. That’s how I know this works.

Second, perhaps even more importantly, I’m just unslumping myself. Yep… it hit me too. And that is how I know this works!

So, if you aren’t in a slump, perhaps you know someone who is and you can pass this along. If you are, I believe the following will help you unslump.

First. Recognize you are in a slump. There is no need to seek out a twelve-step program for this; just admit you have not been firing on all cylinders lately. It’s OK. Everyone’s battery runs low form time to time and lots of times you don’t need serious interventions… just a gentle nudge to get back on track.

Second. Do a comparative analysis with a time when you were going strong. Remember a time, a specific time when things were easy, when you had energy, when business was good, when you fill in the blank. You know what slump feels like now – remember what it felt like when “slump” was nothing more to you than a fun word to say.

“S-L-U-M-P” try it now – out loud. And really “pop” the P… Yeah, I know, I’m being silly… wouldn’t want to put a smile in the middle of a good slump session…

Now, when you remember the good time – the strong time – the time when things were going really well; get a good clear picture of that time. There may be many memories that pop up. Pick one and then repeat the following process,

Third. What was present in the good time that is missing now (in Slumpville)? What were you doing in the good times that you are not doing now? Make notes. Notice the details.

Fourth. What was missing in the good times that is present now in slump times? Or – what are you doing now that you were not doing then? Again. Make notes.

This may seem really simple. It is. You see you can easily remember how to do “not slump” by noticing all the differences between now and then. You must list them so you don’t spend time trying to remember the differences. Spend your time noticing all you can notice.

The observation might surprise you.

I came up with a list of about 14 things that I noticed were different between “on” time (for me summer ‘07) and slump time (last couple months). Most of these are obvious, or more honestly BECAME obvious after I did the compare and contrast steps above.

But you know, once you identify and list these differences, you can go about systematically changing them and getting back to your game. So don’t dismiss the simplicity. It’s better for you than a prescription!

Here are some of the things I noticed about my own slumpiness.

When I was “on” I was getting up early every day. And going to bed at a reasonable hour. Lately, I have been sleeping in and justifying it with “I’m self employed…”

When I was “on” I exercised at least five times a week. I made time to get and stay active. Lately I’ve been taking a Jacuzzi at night because I’m so stiff from inactivity.

When I was “on” I ate really, really well. Huge salads with lots of vegetables and lean proteins. I drank a little coffee and lots of water. Lately I’ve been craving an afternoon coffee. The real temptation here is I have a great – I mean great coffee maker at home… There may be an ad for this coming soon…

When I was “on” I made it a point to meditate every night. I did not miss. Sometimes it was only for 7-10 minutes. Sometimes it was for ninety; but I did id every night. And I started with a recap of all the things and people I was grateful for. Always. Lately… ‘nuff said.

When I was “on” I created a “to-do” list for the important things to get done the next day and felt accomplishment. This accomplishment was one of the things I could be grateful for that evening. Lately, my desk has become a magnet for Post-It notes with little purpose. That changed today, as “write blog on slump” was the last thing on my list for Monday!

Ok, so there is nothing earth-shattering here. No panacea. No magic bullet. Also, no complex NLP or psycho-babble technique. Simply remember. Identify. Self-correct.

You see, the reality is you know how to be on. It’s just that when you are slumping, you think that maybe you don’t remember. But you do. You always do. Your mind is perfect that way’ and if you ask it the right questions it will provide you incredible answers. Decide now to clear the rain and clouds and get back to the sunshine. Mother Nature is doing it for the Valley. Now go do it for yourself.