How to Get Out of a Slump

Beware of Slump-Slidin’ Away

Internet marketers have a heckuva lot to do. You know that. For many of us, our marketing tasks are what we turn to after a full-time job, maybe child care and elder care and all the other needful daily life tasks.

After a while, responsibility and fatigue can affect our ability to get our side-hustle to-do list handle, even though it’s a labor of love. And if we let it slide for long, we can slide into a slump—no longer advancing our business and moving toward our online goals.

We may feel that we’re either ‘taking a break’ or even that we’ve given up.

Here’s the problem with being in a slump for too long…

Once you break what used to be a productive routine, you’ll feel a sense of melancholy and purposelessness. Most entrepreneurial people feel happy only when they’re advancing toward their goals.

And if you let a few setbacks distract you from your goals and allow yourself to drift into a dull, unproductive routine, you’ll find it more and more difficult to get rolling again.

Day by day, you’ll unwittingly allow your aspirations and excitement with to fade away and find yourself facing not only your daily responsibilities but your disappointment at not having advanced your business.

It can happen to the best of us, and the time to learn the tricks of rebounding from a slump and getting your groove back is before it happens to you. Make note of the suggestions below. Bookmark this article. Then if you find yourself worn down slump-sliding away, you’ll have a few ideas on how to regain your momentum.

If you’re thinking of looking for motivation to help get you out of this situation… you’ll barking up the wrong tree and be setting yourself up for failure.

Perhaps surprisingly, we won’t start with a rah-rah pep talk…

Motivational Pep Talks Won’t Be Enough

Although I’m a big fan of Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, and other motivational gurus, exposure to a motivational pep talk is NOT a panacea for lifting us out of a slump.

By all means, yes—generally, keep feeding your mind positive, goal-oriented books, audios, seminars and the like. They really do have a positive effect. But they’re not miraculous, and we’re going to have to move from passive consumption to proactivity…

The Return to Joyful Productivity Begins with a Single Step

The first, most important step you’ll have to take to rise from a slump is one…small…action toward your goals. It’s not about a sudden flurry of activity. Even one little action will dispel fear and help you break through inertia.

“Nothing happens until something moves,” wrote Albert Einstein. He didn’t say “Nothing happens till you feel your like it’s time to get up and go…” You’ve got to “just do it” and “it” can be one little goal-directed action.

Take action, and your regain some traction. Action must come first. I’m paraphrasing Brian Tracy, I think, when I say that success will come from doing what you should do whether you feel like it or not. Get that one small action in place and let the good feeling of one small win move you on to the next small step, and the next—soon you’ll be back on a roll.

Use Your Calendar Like Seinfeld Did

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld used to have a full-year calendar on the walls of his apartment. His intention was to write a joke every day. And every day he did it, he’d put a big red X through that day on the calendar.

He didn’t have to write whole a monologue. Not a whole routine. Just one little joke.

Why use the calendar?

Because the pattern of progress was right there in front of him. It’ll work for me and you, too. When we see that pattern of X after X after X, part of our mind will demand: “Don’t break the chain!”

There you have it—a prepared protocol for slump-breaking.

Start your calendar now—slump prevention is better than slump recovery. And if, in spite of it, fatigue pulls you into a slump, you’ll have the visual calendar clue and the ACTION insight above to help you climb back onto your productive path.