How To Get Yourself Out Of That Funk

I just don't feel like . . . { You can fill in the blank }  This statement has been the killer of many a dream. But why?  What if it were possible to move forward toward your dreams even when you don't feel like it?  As someone with big dreams, who is presently in a bit of a funk, I'm going to say that it is not only possible but the results are very predictable.  And it's largely up to you.  

I'm ambitious.  I'm a planner.  I'm a goal-setter.  When I set my goals for this year, I was on fire.  The pace at which I was hammering away at my goals was dizzying.  And this is where a new picture of working toward goals and dreams is needed.  You know that dizzying pace I was keeping?  While it's not wrong to go gangbusters toward something you're excited about, it's also not sustainable.  If you're in the place where you want to accomplish big goals, but you don't feel very motivated to get moving on those goals at the moment, here are a few things to consider.

Life moves in rhythms and seasons.  
The long and short of it is that your life falls into personal rhythms and seasons. Not only should you accept this fact, but you should get to know and understand your personal rhythms and seasons.   I wrote more extensively about this concept a few weeks ago.  You can read more right here.  

This is a long game. 
"We overestimate what we can accomplish in a day and underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade."  This is one of my all-time favorite quotes and life-principles.  I wrote more extensively about this here.  Please take a look.

Life is more about the journey than the destination. 
We tend to love some seasons and hate others.  But, maybe you can learn to embrace the funk you're in. Not because it's enjoyable but because it's a perfect opportunity for you to teach yourself how to break out of it.  Let's be honest, once you break out of this funk, you'll be back in another one again, at some point.  That's not a doomsday prediction.  It's reality for anyone who is learning, growing and pushing toward goals.  Embrace the reality.  Don't run from it. 

You create your own energy.  
You create energy by moving in the direction you want to go.  If you have a fitness goal that you're not moving toward, the temptation is to just give up. This, of course, takes you further from your goal and perpetuates the low state you're in.  What if you made a decision to just walk toward your goal even when you don't feel like it?  If you do, something amazing happens.  The energy you crave begins to come.  You truly can manufacture your own energy to reach your goals. Once you get down the road, the flywheel effect will kick in, but you might need to push pretty hard to get the wheel turning.  Get moving.

So, whatever goals you're working toward (family, fitness, business, spiritual or any other goal under the sun), if you're in a funk right now (like me as I write this), it's ok.  It will pass, and to a large extent, you have control over how quickly it passes.  Embrace every season of life.  Even the ones that don't feel particularly fun or energizing.  This is a long game and you'll accomplish infinitely more by staying on track, even if the pace is slow in certain seasons.  The tortoise was right. Slow and steady really does win the race.  

I'd love to know what goals you're working toward or what has you in a funk lately.  Very often, sharing it out loud is a big key to moving toward it or getting over it.