The Key is to Keep Moving

What do you do when you're not feeling yourself but still have lots to do? 

Maybe the holidays have you singing the blues or there's been a setback in your personal life that makes striving towards your goals a herculean feat. 

We've all experienced times where everything just felt like a grind. So how do you work through your feelings while attending to your responsibilities?

It starts with being honest about where you're at. This requires taking some personal inventory and allowing yourself to be where you are. 

The next step is to write down a few things you can do for that day. It could be something as simple as taking a 10-minute walk around the block, or making your bed. 

The important thing is to just keep moving. Two things happen as a result:

1. You start to build momentum

2. It become progressively harder to ruminate on what's troubling you when you place your focus on a task

Next, be consistent in your actions. Keep going for that morning stroll and making that bed. You'll start to re-establish a routine and in time you can begin to add more complicated and pressing tasks. Start small and work your way up.

Finally, one of the best ways to get your mind off yourself is to do something for someone else. 

When I graduated from drama school I was in a complete daze. I was so focused on my own needs I got tired of hearing my own voice. The trivial things in my life started to masquerade as crisis.

But the minute I began volunteering I literally didn't have time to worry about myself. I felt a profound sense of meaning in helping someone navigate through their own obstacles, which gave me some much-needed perspective on my own.

The important thing is to take one small step a day and to not quit.

Just Decide

Any trace of stress or misgivings I experience about a project can usually be traced to indecision. There's a safety that comes from hedging our bets. "I"ll do it if there's time, or when I get the money." But saying, "I will do it no matter what," is different. It puts the onus on you to follow through on your word. Scarier? Yes. But far more rewarding. And it's the only way things of value get done.

Drawing a line in the sand and choosing to follow through on a project, big or small, means you're admitting how important something is to you. Taking action means your honoring that feeling. And with action comes an awakening to your potential.