Everyone gets into a funk sometimes! When those feelings strike and you find yourself flat, unmotivated, and despondent about what you’re trying to achieve, it can be really tough to move forward. It’s tempting to blame others and become the least productive manifestation of yourself, focusing in on anger, frustration, and anxiety. However, there are ways to tap into your hope and overcome the obstacles that make you feel most stuck. So, whatever your goal, try these six tips that can move forward with your life.
Change Your State – Change your attitude by changing your state. This is a popular personal development technique for a good reason, and it can take all sorts of different forms. For example, if you’ve been indoors a lot, step out of your house and spend the whole day outside. If you’re feeling despondent, get your body moving by dancing or exercising. If you’re hearing the critical voices of others (or yourself), drown it out by putting on your most optimistic music and singing along. In addition, reach out to people who make you feel good and who know your true self. Sometimes, just talking to them will be enough to shake you out of your funk.
Block Out Negativity, And Take Ownership – If your current funk was partly triggered by the negativity of others (or by people telling you how you should behave), turn your full attention to your mission in life and to your vision of what your realized dream will look like.Your life is under your full control, and no one else’s! After all, you know what’s best. Get in tune with the sense of trust you have in yourself, e.g. by repeating your most empowering affirmations or by writing down all the negative messages that have been bothering you and then writing down positive beliefs that counteract these limiting statements.
Let Go Of The Past – Chances are you are looking at your future life through filters of fear and failures from your past. And this is what is holding you back from truly moving forward. You need to realize that your past is exactly that, the past. This doesn’t mean that you should try and make yourself forget about your past. Because, firstly, it is pretty much impossible, and, secondly, the past has still taught you some valuable lessons. What you need to do is to let go of the negative emotions and limiting beliefs, so that they lose power over your future. Of course, it is sometimes easier said than done.
Start Small – If you’re stuck in a funk because you have a particular task you don’t want to tackle and you’re paralyzed by the thought, find something small that you can do in order to secure a “win.” Small steps take you on long journeys. Break your biggest, unpleasant task down into lots of little sub-tasks and do at least one of them today. Even this act can help you feel like you’re moving forward and can make dreaded or intimidating tasks seem manageable. And if one of the broken down tasks looks too big, break that down as well!
Stick To A Schedule – Being stuck in a funk usually involves inaction, so one of the best things you can do for yourself is to draw up a schedule and then stick to it religiously. Even if you don’t currently have a job (or you’re self-employed), figure out your “hours of operation” and commit to working your way through your task lists during these times. Even just beginning with an hour a week, three nights a week is a great start! You can then gradually increase the amount of time you devote to working on your goals.
Live In Gratitude – If you’re unable to be grateful for what you already have and all that there is to cherish in your life, the universe is not going to give you more! You’ve probably already considered the idea of keeping a gratitude journal (a common Law of Attraction exercise), but there are also other great ways to live in gratitude. For example, try cultivating a daily habit of thanking someone you care about and practice mindfulness meditations that encourage you to let feelings of love, compassion and acceptance wash over you.
Help Others Move Forward – When you assist others in moving out of their own funks, you make a genuine connection that’s deeply gratifying and can spark your own passion as well. Of course, you don’t want to neglect your own needs and sacrifice all of your time and energy for others, but there’s a balance to be found here.When you provide support and inspiration for people, you will get more support and inspiration from the universe in return. If, in contrast, you focus on jealousy or refuse to share any of your own resources, you’ll get fewer resources from the universe and are more likely to stay in a funk for longer.
It’s crucial to remember that everyone gets stuck in a funk from time to time and that it’s not always easy to shake it off. Don’t feel guilty for having this very human experience! If you stick to your vision of the life you want to have and stick to your mission to succeed, you’ll find yourself moving forward into happiness and excitement.
Peace and Love, Jim
