Message #647
Thursday, July 11, 2002
"It is better to wear out than to rust out."
Richard Cumberland
TODAY'S MESSAGE:
In past messages, I've given you some ideas on how to overcome the psychological obstacles that occasionally keep us all from getting the important work in our lives done. (See Message #402, "How to Get Unstuck When a Big Job Stymies You," and Message #544, "So, You're a Procrastinator. What Do You Do About It?")
Today, I asked Bob Bly for his take on the subject -- what he does when he finds that his wheels are spinning … but he's going nowhere. As a freelance copywriter and author of more than 50 books, he knows what he's talking about when it comes to personal productivity.
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HOW TO GET OUT OF A SLUMP
By Robert W. Bly for Early to Rise
Getting out of a slump is not difficult, though it often requires persistence. The problem is that most people either don't realize what they have to do to reverse a slump or are not willing to do it.
I have developed a three-part strategy for overcoming a slump that works for both business and personal setbacks. The problem is that the formula is so simple -- it contains a total of seven words -- that you may be tempted to dismiss it, even though it has worked for me and hundreds of other individuals.
Here is the formula for getting out of a slump:
1. Do something.
2. Do more.
3. Keep doing it.
Let's examine the three parts in more detail:
Step 1: Do something. Do I mean do anything, no matter how random? Well, no. But almost. Here's what I mean ...
Most people in a slump spend most of their time worrying, ruminating, and planning. They suffer from "analysis paralysis." They become so obsessed with making their next step perfect that they never take it.
You can only reverse a slump through action, so you've got to act -- now! Not sure if Idea A makes sense? Do it anyway. Not sure whether to take Path X or Path Y? Pick one and go forward.
The very fact that you are taking action -- instead of getting stuck in inaction --will automatically start you on the road to recovery.
Step 2: Do more. There are two common reasons why people fail. One is that they don't do the work required to get the results they want.
Putting into action just one or two ideas may help, but it's probably not enough to totally solve your problem.
Getting out of a slump requires that you take what motivational speaker Anthony Robbins calls "massive action."
How to implement this strategy: Decide how much activity you think you really need to get fully out of your slump. Then do at least twice that amount.
Step 3: Keep doing it. The second reason people fail is that they give up too early.
Not everything you try will work. If you try one thing, then a second, then a third, and they all fail, do you give up? No. You try something else. Eventually, one thing works OK. Another works better. And before you know it, you're well on the road to turning your situation around.
But don't just forge ahead blindly. Evaluate the results of each effort. A corollary to Step 3 is: Do more of what's working, less of what's not working.
There you have it: three steps ... seven words. Simple? Yes. Do they work? Absolutely. Try it and see for yourself.
[Robert W. Bly has been a professional writer for more than 15 years, having received more than $2 million in advances, fees and royalties from more than 100 publishers, editors, and corporate clients nationwide. To subscribe to his free ezine, “Bob Bly's Direct Response Letter: Tips to Double Your Response” please visit his website www.bly.com.]
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PRODUCTIVITY TIP: START YOUR ENGINE WITH SMALL, EASY-TO-ACCOMPLISH TASKS
Break through the procrastination barrier by assigning yourself a single 15-minute task. After you finish that, give yourself another 15-minute task. Keep it up until you start moving on your own natural momentum.
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LIVING RICH: FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT
Winemakers don't sell their Bordeaux directly to the market. Middlemen (negociants) buy the wine at a fixed price as soon as it is made and then sell it a few years later to importers and distributors. The price they pay is based on how much they think they can get for it after it's done aging. How much they can sell it for is a function of a variety of factors, not the least of which is how the aging will affect the taste.
More than 90% of Bordeaux is sold this way. It's great for the chateaux that produce Bordeaux (when you seen "Chateau" in a wine's name, it's usually a Bordeaux), because they get to sell most of their wine two years before it's ready to drink. It's not so good for the retail buyer, because he has to pay the negociants as well as the importers and distributors. Still, I'm planning to stock up on 2000 Bordeaux -- which, as I said yesterday, may be the best vintage ever produced.
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The meaning of the word "moribund" (MOR-uh-bund) is very close to that of the very similar "morbid." But whereas "morbid" means "like death," "moribund" means, literally, "dying."
MMF
Copyright ETR, LLC, 2002
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