I'm getting out of a funk, again.

I'm in a funk. Mostly, I'm developing a fear about my future and wondering if I can meet my financial goals and production goals based on what I've done recently. Let me be clear, this is largely based on clear judgment. My income has gone down recently, not up. My productivity is in the tank, and my company hasn't released a new product or offering in more than six months. Things are not going well.

I've decided to sit down and consider the (big picture) problem which starts with my own personal funk. So, here's my "how to get out of a funk" process, the plan so to speak.

1. Are you depressed? Stop it!
   • Don't whine, share, talk, discuss, or even think upon your depression any more. Sound difficult? It's not, just stop.
   • Think logically. If you think it's too difficult to just stop being depressed and move on, you can sit down and have yourself a big cry. But, spend your thirty minutes feeling bad for yourself and move on. Don't spend more than an hour thinking about how unfair life is, because that just compounds the problem. At some point you've got to get up and do something and move on - think logically about your situation.
   • Make a deal with yourself that you are willing to look at the realities you are dealing with and solve your real problems. Once you've decided you'll do what it takes, you'll be equipped to do something.
2. Take a short and productive break.
   • You can't solve your problems by running away, but you can't view them clearly when you're in the middle of the mess.
   • Schedule a few hours to sit down and analyze your problems and challenges and segregate those you can and can't change through personal action.
   • Put your thoughts, ideas, and plans on paper - there's something extra-powerful about putting things in writing. It's good if you have a day-planner you can put these in, even if it's copy paper and you just fold the plans up and stick them in a pocket. Carrying your plan with you allows you to take the paper out, add notes, comments, perhaps check off a task list.
   • Don't share. Sharing your ideas, concerns, etc. exposes your weakness to others and promotes a 'woe is me,' mentality. This is your plan, private and urgent. Just get the problem solved. If you had an emergency, you wouldn't call you best friend and vent about it. You would just solve the problem. Treat your funk as a personal private emergency.
3. Stop making excuses.
   • Stop making excuses for people that are adding stress to your life, unnecessarily - judge wisely when that's the case. It's OK to overlook (forgive) them, but be aware of their hindrance, and avoid them as necessity demands.
   • Stop making excuses for yourself. If you've got challenges and you honestly don't know how to overcome them, write them down and ask yourself how you can overcome them. This list of questions will be answered. The brain is a powerful answer machine and asking the right questions will deliver the right answers. God has all the answers, so praying is the most powerful method to seeking truthful answers. If a problem persists more than a few days and you still don't have an answer to its solution, then it's time to seek professional or otherwise qualified consultation. But, first you must be clear on the right questions.
   • Give up the guilt. There's no value in beating yourself up beyond the point of saying "I messed up, and I won't do this anymore." Continuing to listen to the "you are worthless" mantra so many of us face is weakness incarnate, giving in to the problem and that never solves anything. You have to put that feeling aside and move on with real solutions. Guilt has no value beyond waking us up to our mistakes.
   • "I can't, I don't, I haven't, If only," speech has no value. You need "I can, I will, I do, I have," speech instead. It's OK to look honestly at your challenges. For example, your credentials may not meet the requirements for your dream job. The simple set of questions follow: "what can you do to achieve those credentials, do you have experience that weighs against this shortcoming, do you have alternative options, and is the goal practical and achievable without a much bigger life plan?" Sometimes your funk is just a deep seeded recognition that you've participated in bad goal setting. And, that's easily overcome with realistic thinking. Sometimes it's defeatist thinking, and that's easily overcome with realistic and practical positive thinking. Either problem can be overcome with forward thinking. Consider only the future, using the past as a method of analysis. But, you must forget the past failures as soon as you use them to judge better future actions. Perhaps you gave up on college too soon, and you should begin a formal education process. Perhaps you quit a good job, and you should seek another. But, you should never dwell on past failures or present limitations. Simple view them as challenges to overcome with a plan that can work.
4. Take immediate action, as soon as you get a clear vision or path.
   • Make a list of tasks that will help you achieve your goals.
   • Begin work on the list immediately. In order to do that, you need daily tasks which an be completed and are realistic based on your resources (see your list).
   • Get up earlier, sit down and look at your list each day and plan to check off something important and valuable every single day.
   • If it takes working a little later to complete your tasks, just do it. Sloth and love of sleep will impoverish you. Success requires sacrifice.

   • Take care of your vessel, mind, and spirit.
     • Your body needs a certain amount of sleep. It doesn't need as much as we may like (for adults you need at least 5 hours every night), but you must care for it. That means you can work up to 19 hours a day if you need to. But, make sacrifices if necessary to get in bed at a reasonable hour.
     • Eat scheduled, healthy meals.
     • Exercise every single day. Exercise helps the brain work better, which helps you come up with better solutions and makes you emotionally healthier.
     • Pray, meditate, and consider spiritual matters daily. We aren't just physical creatures. We must feed our spiritual man daily. It's a big part of a positive and productive outlook on life.
     • Spend time with those you love. We get a boost from being with those we love, and neglect will compound the funk, not eliminate it.
     • Keep a balanced understanding even when times are difficult. Constantly remind yourself that the balance of all our needs helps us perform better in all areas of life. So, that time you spend with those you love, the time you spend praying or studying spiritual matters, and the time you give yourself to exercise and rest all contribute to your productive work and vice versa.
   • Create a daily focus guide. This is a set of statements and instructions to stay on target. If you keep the questions right and focus on the results you want, your mind and actions can be more clearly guided toward the success you desire. That is the clear path to getting out of the funk.

I've developed a short list to help me stay focused. I put it on a dry-erase board to see daily. This is not my task list. Remember I'm not sharing that, like the plan states. My need to address my funk is my own private emergency and I don't need to share my solutions or problems with anyone to resolve my challenges.

• Get your head right
• Don't eat junk
• Clear out the clutter
• Do profitable work (today)
• Bill someone
• Deliver quality
• Keep promises
• Show my children I love them
• Cherish the day
• Rest at night
• Wake up early
• Avoid waste and sloth
• Spend time with those that matter most to me
• Stay clear
• Adapt, change, become better

Posted in life jasonn's blog