How To Combat the Slippery Slope

You know how you sometimes have those days when you just don't feel like doing anything? And you know how it is on those days when you don't even feel like doing the thing you love the most? For some strange reason, you've (momentarily) lost the desire to do the thing you're passionate about. It could be for a lot of reasons, or maybe just one reason. Maybe that day you felt like you were never going to be able to make a difference. Maybe it was something someone said that caused you to doubt your abilities. Maybe you were comparing yourself to someone else in your field and felt the chasm of inadequacy widen during that very moment. MAYBE, it's that you know what you want to do when you grow up but the work is just not coming in...oh wait...maybe that's just me...

The lies we tell ourselves, like we'll never make a difference or we'll never be able to do this or that, only keep us stagnant. See, I know from past experience that whenever I let those dark feelings crowd my mind, I can begin to fall ever so slightly down a slippery slope. And, by the slippery slopey nature of the slope, it can be difficult to climb back out. It's easier to just detect those blah feelings early on and cut them off rather than succumb to them and their after effects...which in my case is often a feeling of not wanting to do anything. When I realize what's happening, I can combat the thoughts and feelings with prayer and a little "one foot in front of the other" mentality.

I blogged about combining my passions a few weeks back. I absolutely love teaching - making something make sense to another person - and I love photography. Jumping back in to photography and teaching has really helped and encouraged me in other areas of my life. I'm in my element in a lot of ways, and the students I'm working with are probably also struggling with some of the same doubts that I have. It's helpful to encourage them, and to take my own advice of "just keep practicing". Working on a personal project or just carrying my camera around helps keep me motivated and working...even if the work is only commissioned by yours truly.

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I decided to get together to hang out, but also to go on a photo walk. I think we both needed to pick up the camera again and start pressing the shutter without any concerns for what the images would become. It was actually super inspiring and motivated me to keep on keepin' on.

Here's an image from that walk: 

So, here's my suggestion if you are lacking the motivation to do something, even if it's something you love: just get to it. Just as I tell people who ask how I "stick to" my workout plan, take the first step and put on your shoes. Motivation, encouragement, and inspiration, once you find them, all seem to beget more of the same.

I'd love to hear from you! What do you do to get yourself moving if you're in a slump?