Sophie's Success Shortcuts

Slump: intr.v., slumped, slump·ing, slumps.

1. To fall or sink heavily; collapse: She slumped, exhausted, onto the sofa.
2. To droop, as in sitting or standing; slouch.
3. 1. To decline suddenly; fall off: Business slumped after the holidays.
   2. To perform poorly or inadequately: The team has been slumping for a month.
4. 1. To sink or settle, as into mud or slush.
   2. To slide down or spread out thickly, as mud or fresh concrete.

n.

1. The act or an instance of slumping.
2. A drooping or slouching posture: read defeat in the slump of his shoulders.
3. A sudden falling off or decline, as in activity, prices, or business: a stock market slump; a slump in farm prices.
4. An extended period of poor performance, especially in a sport or competitive activity: a slump in a batting average.
5. See grunt (sense ).

As you see, slumps are almost inevitable, we all go through them, they are the result of life’s cyclical design. The question is: when they come, what are you going to do.

If you pay attention, most of life is about that question: when the sh-t hits the fan: what are YOU going to do?

Slumps are always devastating. They can take an otherwise productive, happy person and reduce him to a lethargic, depressed, indifferent clump… a minute ago he had goals and dreams that inspired him, motivated him, but now in the slump/funk these dreams and aspirations seem – unimportant, like a distant memory of something, not real, not interesting, not important.

Even when he thinks about those dreams, he is not sure why they were important in the first place, what he would do if they came to fruition… it is a so what… not very exciting, not very different… the “slump” colors everything dark, gray, muddy, tasteless and unappetizing.

You have been there… these slumps always come unexpectedly, out of the blue… and find you unprepared, right?

So what do you do? Most people give in to the slump, they take a break from it all, and spend some time feeling depressed and indifferent, uninterested in growing, moving forward, life.

Few weeks or months can pass, and your chemistry turns around naturally, you exit your slump. But you are very clear that your life has passed you by, the opportunities are gone, and you are starting from square one.

Although this is a possible way to deal with the inevitable slump, this is NOT the winner’s way… I should know. I lived this yo-yo life for the first 40 or so years of my life… so did my mother, and many of my clients.

I’m going to give ;you clues how you to avoid this losing scenario. I am going to show you 21 ways you can employ to make the slump a blip in the road, where you can re-motivate yourself, return to your goals, be happy and productive.

Before I get to the 21 ways, let me look into the anatomy of this slump thing, what happens on the kabbalistic and ontological level (don’t worry about those terms, they will be clear in a jiffy). One of the things that happen that your energy level leaked out and you are left with less energy. It takes energy to to pursue goals, to desire, to be happy. So one of the things we’ll do is restore your energy. That is the kabbalistic side. And on the ontological side: we’ll identify ourselves with an ideal we invented, instead of the suffering, disinterested, sleepy clump we are heading towards.

We are going to do a lot of pretending. Pretending to be clear, pretending to have a goal, pretending to being a winner, etc. Got it? Ready? Let’s start.

Oh, one more thing: every action you’ll take, every decision you make (just like when you are in a real swamp) will either take you deeper, or take you higher… so pay attention, and please know, that many of these actions work synergistically.

1. Take Action. Return to what you were doing before the “fall”. Before you slid into this slump, you had goals, dreams, and lists of things you needed to do to accomplish them. At some point, you lost confidence in these ideas and stopped working on your projects and working towards your dreams.

You need to return to the activities, even if you can’t see any sense, can’t feel any inspiration. Fake it till you make it: you’ll get into it again, and the inspiration and clarity of vision will come back. Key is: same action. Don’t make haphazard actions, flailing, etc. Your clarity is not there, and your decisions will come from that unclarity: you will just dig yourself deeper into the hole if you are impulsive or hasty.

Ignore the pull to take a break, take naps, quit, etc. Focus on getting things done. Force yourself. Trust that you had a valid reason before the slump hit, the dream was real and doable, and if you just continue to take action, you will accomplish two things: come out of the slump, and get closer to your goal. Check things off on your “to do” list, you will see that with every checkmark your energy will grow.

2. Ramp Up Your Efforts. Instead of slowing down, speed up. Work faster, add intensity to your activities. Remember, your job is to increase your energy to a point where you can see where you are going, where you regain your capacity for desire… in the meantime, consider that you are on the right path (very important!) and going faster will energize you, even if it is painful. It will be painful. You are working both against gravity, and against the darkness and pull of the slump.

When you plan your day, and planning you must, plan more into your day than it seems doable, and then start, in earnest, accomplishing stuff. Drifting along, having time to waste plays to the “hand” of the slump, and will take you deeper. Take control, make plans, and accomplish a lot each day.

3. Misery loves company, and you’ll notice that you’ll hear the bad news, the complaints… they are more consistent with your current vibrations. Resist it. Force yourself to pay Attention to success and the activities of of successful people. Where you put your attention, it grows. The energy and vibration of success is what you need now to get out of the slump.

So, thank your mind for sharing its doubts, and start telling yourself that if they can do it, you can do it – take their examples as a source of inspiration and hope. Those two emotions will pull you out of your slump.

4. Learn by Doing. If you’re faced with a complicated decision with no clear answer, one of the best ways you can move forward is to simply do, rather than thinking. Doing gives you energy, even the wrong action, thinking strengthens your enemy, and sucks your energy.

Pick one of the possible actions in front of you; and start doing it in earnest…

If it was the wrong path, so what? you gained some energy (or at least didn’t lose any) and next you can try an alternative method or path.

5. Avoid Over-thinking. Don’t forget that thinking has two draw-backs in this state: they suck your energy, and because your clarity of vision is low, they will take you to wrong decisions anyway. Your best friend is action… try this path, try that path… just like you would do in a real swamp.

6. One great way to gain energy is to do menial tasks that bring a visible result. Cleaning your desk, if you are a woman, cleaning your purse, a drawer, anything, is very energizing. Accomplishment, any size, any kind, will give you much needed energy.

7. Throw a curve-ball into your daily routine. Take another route to work, sleep on the other side of the bed, or even turn around totally. Get up earlier, and go to bed later. Any small change is invigorating. You’ll gain energy and a new view of life… or at least your home.

8. Promise yourself small rewards to get things done. Slumps are a result of you having worked hard, and worked on adrenaline. The slump is a chemical reaction to it, you know the serotonin/dopamine balance. Serotonin is the energizing chemical, dopamine is the pleasure chemical, the overexertion causes a high from which you need to come down… and the down is what is called the slump.

If and when this is caused by lifestyle, it is easier to manage the life style part than start manipulating the chemical imbalance with chemicals.

Those that work hard, often keep working until they burn out. It is best to take frequent mini-vacations, an afternoon off, a whole weekend off,

So, don’t do this. Set specific goals, accomplish them, and then reward yourself by taking the rest of the night off to relax. When you come back to your work, you’ll be happy and refreshed.

Keep regular sleeping hours, make sure you stop and do some physical exercises every day, go light on coffee… etc.

9. Visit a New Place. Make a quick turn into a side-street and visit a part of town you have never seen. Doing the same thing, day in and day out, with its monotony, works against you in times of slump. Break away and go, visit an new spot… look at things with a new eye, drop in to a church, a museum, walk through the woods, alone or with a friend. It doesn’t have to be long. If it is too long, probably it won’t be energizing. Sneak in a little enjoyment into your life.
I have been dealing with my slump after chugging along without a break for 5-6 weeks. So today I went and visited a store, then I stopped and talked to an old friend I hadn’t talked to in years. I will make a traditional Jewish Saturday meal… I haven’t done this in years, and I am excited.

10. If you still have enough clarity, reexamine what you are doing and re-focus yourself. My experience as a coach, that when you are clear enough, you are in the last 10% of the slump… so this is not a good advice when you are in the thick of it. In the thick of it, the best course of action is to return to the goals, tasks, projects that you were working on BEFORE you started to slide.

11. This is a MUST: Schedule Things. Make sure you have a daily calendar with enough space on it to schedule 15-30 minute tasks. Rather than Letting Things Happen to You. Don’t allow your schedule to morph into an unpredictable, unmanageable blob. Take frequent energizer breaks, if possible, break up everything into 15-30 minute chunks. This method with give you more satisfaction, and you won’t be taken over by gravity.
Take the time to make a list of things you need to do, put them onto your calendar, and check them off as they are done. Don’t neglect stuff… tendency is to hide from stuff… but the stuff can bite you in the a-s-s, so pay attention. You don’t have the luxury to take a break from life. This will prevent disasters and things will get done, in small bite size chunks.

12. Physical Activity. The cause of slumps is not psychological. Lack of physical exercise will leave us in a mental fog. Schedule some vigorous exercise. Pay much attention that when you are in a slump, your breathing becomes shallow, and that contributes to the fog. Do arm and shoulder exercises that open your breath… pay attention. The other element is your hear rate: exercises that elevate your heart rate will wash away the cobwebs, and give you much needed endorphins. Do this every day, and if possible, several times a day. 5-10 minutes will do miracles.

13. Eliminate Pessimistic Thoughts. Avoid pessimistic people. Stop watching the news and reading the newspaper. Don’t listen to hard rock and rap… they all lower your vibration, and life force. Redirect your thoughts from I can’t to “how can I?”

14. Give yourself creative Challenges. We tend to resort to maintenance when we are in a slump: and maintenance is not energizing, and you can’t win at it.
Build something new, try something new, then do it fast. Faster than you can think. Turn of thinking and just do. Enter contests, or if there is none around, create one for yourself. Reward yourself for every challenge won.

15. Give yourself deadlines. Work towards them as if you life depended on your performance. If you can’t force yourself, then schedule a trip out of town, a hard and fast launch date, etc. When that project is due in two days, you buckle down, stay focused, and get it done. But when you have unlimited time, you probably won’t focus your energies and won’t accomplish anything.

16. Change Your Diet. Sugar, certain carbs, (including fruits), stimulants, junk food contribute to your yoyo experience and foggy mind. So does smoking. There is plenty of proof that the serotonin/dopamine delicate balance depends on what you put in your mouth, how and when you sleep, and whether you use stimulants or you exercise instead. Removing the offending items from your diet at least temporarily will start you on the road out of the hole.

17. Ask for help in structuring your project: don’t forget, in times like this you are not the sharpest tool in the tool box.

Spend a Day to Improve Your Productivity. Productivity is the speed with which you accomplish the right result. Spend some time to clarify the right action and the right productivity methods.

18. Create small attainable bite size goals that are milestones of your big Goals. Spend time, preferably with a coach, creating the bite size projects that you can accomplish in a couple of hours instead of chugging along for days, weeks, not seeing an end to the project. Every win will increase your energy and lift your spirits.

19. Pick projects that are easy and cumulative. Ask yourself: what is the next logical step? Start with the first step, and continue with the next step. Don’t try to create systems when there is nothing yet you can put inside it.

20. Sleep regular hours. If necessary, force yourself to go to bed at a certain time and get up at a certain time. Violating this rule was probably crucial in getting you into the slump… committing to a schedule will get you out of it. So go to sleep and come back refreshed tomorrow. Don’t oversleep, even if you feel tired. Or if you have insomnia, don’t go to bed early… it will just make it worse. Keep to your schedule… your sleep mechanism will catch up with you. Promise.

21. Make an Effort to get out of your own head and pay attention to others: the worst thing you can do is to enter a monolog and a lone ranger path… Listen to Others. Take your attention away from your mood, and complaints, your own stories and struggles, and make an effort to hear and understand other people and their life. Learn from them, absorb their stories, and use them to motivate yourself.

22. Avoid looking for the magic bullet. There are no magic bullets, and looking for them is a distraction, much like alcohol, gambling, or any other deadly addictions.

No matter how depressed and indifferent you feel right now, you have the capabilities to break out of your slump.

Take an assortment of methods from above and start adding them to modify your life. Don’t delay, every minute will cost you precious days in lost life in your business, aspirations, success, relationships.

The faster you start the faster you’ll return to a happy, focused, motivated life that goes some place.

Leave this slump in your past; and return to your productive, happy life.