Have you ever lost momentum? Gone from a rocket ship to... well... a rock?
Maybe you were doing great with blogging consistently, then a few days or a few weeks slipped by...
Maybe you had a fantastic plan to stay in touch with your subscribers, but something happened and you got off track, and now it's been a couple of months...
Or you were really rockin' with your business, rolling out products and promotions and marketing consistently, until you weren't anymore...
Could be a personal goal like daily exercise or healthy eating... you were doing great and then the siren's song of chocolate and a movie got you...
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
It's easy to beat ourselves up when it happens. And it's so much easier to keep doing the things we know we should do when we've got that momentum on our side. But HOW do you get the ball rolling again when it's come to a complete standstill?
You've just got to push.
As simple and as challenging as that.
Yeah, it'll take more energy to GET IT MOVING AGAIN than it would have if you'd just KEPT it going... but push anyway.
If it feels like you're pushing uphill, then take a deep breath and push uphill.
Pull yourself out of that thought cycle that keeps you stuck: I messed up! What if no one wants to hear from me because it's been a while? I should just fade quietly away!
Life is messy. For all of us. It's never going to be "smooth sailing" unless we choose to create that with our reactions and there will always be times we feel like we've lost our groove, our mojo is hiding or our "get up and go" got up and went.
So what?
Really, so what?
You've still got a mission. You've still got a purpose.
Just do what you're here do.
If it takes a bigger push to get it going again, then put your heart back into it and push.
Need more specific steps? Here ya go:
1. Remember why it matters.
I haven't blogged in a while (Hey, bet you hadn't noticed! Note: your readers will forgive you, too, if you've fallen off the blogging train).
I know myself, and the longer I go without writing the harder it is to get started again. I let life get in the way. Notice that -- life didn't get in the way, I let it, it's on me... Always take responsibility for your own actions, even if you feel like you've got good excuses (and boy do I...). You can't fix things if you don't accept responsibility.
But taking a minute to refocus on why I blog, why I WANT to blog, and why it matters... that starts to bring back the "yeah, I WANT to do this!" energy.
2. Reconnect to the results.
What happens next if you get back into the flow? What results have your actions produced in the past? What even bigger results can you create next?
3. Block out the time, get rid of distractions and set a timer.
Put it on your calendar. Make a date with yourself and your necessary task. When the time pops up, don't let yourself reschedule it. Get your timer set for the amount of time you've got blocked out. Close Facebook, Twitter, and email, and until the timer goes off stay FOCUSED on getting it done.
* Twitching as I really want to check Facebook right now but then I'd have an unfinished post... *
4. Create a plan to stay in motion.
You'll still have to work your plan, but it's always easier when you've got one. So create a plan.
I'm recycling my "plan" for April's posts that didn't happen. It's become my May plan. That's okay. Adapt. Roll with it.
Forgive yourself when you screw up but always, always aim to do better today than you did yesterday. Create the plans you need to support yourself and make it happen.
5. Make yourself accountable.
I've reached out to a few friends to help me stay on track this month. I'll do the same for them.
Accountability makes a huge difference in whether you stay on track and achieve your goals. So find what type of accountability you need and then get it in place.
I'm working like crazy this weekend to get my shopping cart upgraded and affiliate program together because I set it as a goal last week in my mastermind group. On Monday, our group leader Judy will ask me if I got it done. I am not about to show up and say, "um... well... no... (mumble, mumble excuses)"
And one bonus step...
Take care of yourself. Be "selfish." Sometimes we lose our momentum because we've been so focused on everyone and everything else that we forget to care for ourselves. Get enough sleep. Eat healthy foods. Do something you love, just because you deserve a time out of your own.
If you've lost your momentum, I give you permission to forgive yourself and move forward. Step back onto your rocket ship. I promise it's still there waiting for you. And so are those you're here to serve.
Your Turn! What do you do when you've lost momentum? How do you get your groove back?
