Note: The following is an excerpt from my book, What Color Is Your Sky? which was taken from the chapter titled: Show Up!
Sometimes your actions do not yield the results you want and discouragement kicks in. Getting out of it is about shifting your state of mind and not staying stuck in it. It is about reframing the situation so you can get back to action, finding solutions and making things happen for you.
Here are 10 sure ways of eliminating discouragement quickly:
1. Don’t resist being discouraged. On the contrary, feel it, be self-honest and acknowledge that you are. Spend 5 minutes writing down all the reasons why you are discouraged. This will be valuable data for updating and refining your personal action plan later
2. Remember that you have made it so far and take 5-10 minutes to list your accomplishments in the past 6 months
3. Take 5 minutes to list all the things you are grateful for in your life. I love doing that one!
4. Make sure that you are not tired physically or sick. If you are, go to bed early and take care of yourself. Get healthy and catch up on sleep
5. First thing in the morning, call and congratulate 5 people on something that you like about them. Make it short and sweet. This technique can be amazingly effective. And, you will make friends
6. In the storm, the real fighters like you keep paddling. Get busy: do 5 small quick things. The goal here is to remain active. Do 5 simple things that are related to your project: clean up your desk quick, confirm an appointment, and look up a web site of a potential employer or client. Each action should take 2-3 minutes. Stay simple and concise
7. Learn something: read an article, a chapter in a personal growth book, take an evening class; not only will you learn new tools but you will also meet fighters like you. Team up with them.
8. Simplify and cut down your to-do-list. You do not have one?… well create one
9. Call a supportive friend and have breakfast together to share and evaluate your strategies. Give each other supportive and constructive feedback.
10. Share with your partner: “I am feeling discouraged right now. I am trying to get out of that state of mind”. It brings things out consciously. This is often good enough to shift
Crawling under a blanket is fine too. Let people around you know that you need space and will be back. Once you are back on your feet again, congratulate yourself for shifting out that mode. You have just learned how to deal with one of our most challenging obstacles.
You are welcome to share this article and share with us your own ways to cope with hardship. How do you do it?
