Down in the Dumps? Pump it Up!

Do you ever have a week where it just seems like everything that could go wrong – does? Or one of those weeks where you just feel…off? I had a week like that this week. Work is frustrating…I don’t feel motivated on any level, anywhere. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I self-sabotage. It’s like an out of body experience – I can see it happening – but I seem unable to stop it. How do you change the course?

Garbage in – garbage out
I did a couple of different things that seem corny…but I have to say, effective. First thing I did was to subscribe to a Twitter group of motivational speakers. So all day every day through my TweetDeck come little tweets of inspiration. Sometimes I read them and roll my eyes … the quotes can seem so “cliché”. But then I see a couple that kind of spark something… and at the end of the day, the reality is that I’ve just filled my mind with positivity…rather than wallowing in the my frustration. And I’ve been completely reminded that only I can change the course. The reality is – in my world - I’m just selling software – not solving world-hunger. It’s a game of numbers, and creativity and it will come…if I’m working for it. The second thing I did was take a personality test… to remind myself of what motivates me…what my strengths are and what my weaknesses are so that I can see how to shift into the strong side.

Gratitude…Changes the Attitude
The third nugget for me this week was an experience I had with my daughter Rachel. She’s been wanting a hamster forever. Her dad has a motto “no reptiles, no rodents, no birds.” It was a huge step when we got the dog…trust me! Anyway, a friend of hers had gotten a couple hamsters with her own hard earned money. Rachel couldn’t understand why if she spent her own money, she couldn’t get the hamster. It was a viable argument. So I talked her dad into letting her get it. The purchase has all sorts of responsibility caveats that an 8 year old will, of course, earnestly uphold. When we told her she could get it, she burst into tears. And I don’t mean her eyes filled up with tears…I mean she had HUGE crocodile tears…sobbing…she was so happy…so grateful…(yes, so drama!) And it so completely rocked my heart. It reminded me to be grateful for the little things…the moments…whether it’s the sun coming out after 5 days of rain, the smell of a hot fresh cup of coffee, the fact that I can and am able to get up and work every day, or making the dream of having a new hamster come true.

Get a New Goal
The last thing that happened this week was I was motivated to set a new goal. My girlfriend (you know who you are!) emailed me this week and said “some people train for marathons or races, I’m in ‘black dress training’”. I LOVE IT – I thought – I’m going to be in "black dress training"…gives me something new to think about...and seems like it will be exciting at the end. It doesn't have to have anything to do with work or family or friends...it just needs to be interesting to you. So for me, "black dress training" conjures up making good choices on food, making sure I'm getting my workouts in...And really, at the end of the day…who doesn't love the opportunity for a little retail therapy ;-)