We ALL have funks.
We all have days where we are paralyzed and just don’t feel like we can get anything done.
We all procrastinate sometimes.
You are not alone in any of that, and you don’t need to get down so much on yourself for it.
So stop being so hard on yourself.
Give yourself more credit than you have been.
And know that this funk you’re in? This lack of motivation?
It will pass.
The truth is that you are already ahead of the game.
You are doing GREAT.
You aren’t just doing great, you are doing better than 97% of the rest of the world.
Because you have these goals.
These goals of growing your photography business.
These goals of creating the freedom in your life where you can walk your daughter to the bus stop every morning and watch your kids when they are sick.
These goals of making more in your business so that you can take your family on a Disney Cruise.
These goals that aren’t really even FOR you, but for your family.
And while the rest of the world is merely striving for “content,” you are striving for happiness, excitement in your work day and freedom.
You are working so hard, and even though some days (heck, probably most days) you feel burned out and like you are getting nothing done?
The truth is, you are getting more done than 97% of the population.
YOU are “doing it all,” even though the world is screaming at us saying you CAN’T do it all, and you CAN’T have it all.
And maybe they’re right, maybe they’re right 97% of the time.
But that other 3%?
That 3% of people that you and I and other entrepreneurs fall into?
WE are the 3% that won’t settle for average, for content, for a boring life.
You are part of that 3%.
So if you’re feeling burned out, stressed, unmotivated, and like this photography thing is a marathon you just can’t win?
Just know, that the truth is, you have already won.
You just have to keep moving ahead.
Some days that might be just a baby step that takes all of your energy.
Some days that will be a hop, skip and a jump.
And some days?
You will get more done in one day than the other 97% got done that month.
And it’s important to know that even ONE baby step every day is enough.
Because some days you won’t have the motivation to do more than one baby step.
And that’s ok.
We ALL have those days.
Those “funks” we get into.
I get them all the time, and in fact, I was in a two-week “funk” that ended yesterday.”
Those “funks” are you brain’s way of recovering after a marathon of massive action.
And the only way to get out of these funks are by giving yourself time, and creating a baby step of action every day.
And maybe you’re in a funk today, and maybe you’re not.
And if you’re not, you’re going to want to come back to this email on the day that you ARE in a funk.
Either way – here is how to get out of your funk.
Step 1: Figure out why you’re in a funk to begin with
I’m not talking about mommy or daddy issues, or other deep soul-searching activities.
I am talking about what you did BEFORE the funk began.
Did you have a super productive week where you edited 3 weddings and 8 sessions?
Have you been so busy with sessions this year and maybe took on more than you should have?
Did you go on a “vacation” with your family, only to feel like you needed a vacation from your kids after your vacation? (And don’t feel guilty about that…I used to feel terrible, until I realized that that’s how MOST parents feel after a vacation.).
Step 2: Plan for unmotivated days
You are going to have lack of motivation some days, which will lead to procrastination.
And procrastination?
Is the king of negativity, of guilt, of the “can I really do this photo business thing” voice inside your head.
But when you PLAN to have unmotivated days, you won’t feel that guilt or pessimistic voice in your head. And even if you do?
It will be a small hit of a guilt, not a “my life sucks, the world is collapsing on me, I don’t even know what I’m doing” type of guilt (which I’ve had PLENTY of times).
So how the heck do you plan for those days?
Start by making a list of things that do and don’t take your mental energy and motivation.
And this will be different for everybody.
For me?
The things that take the MOST mental energy and motivation include:
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phone calls (specifically calling leads back)
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Emails
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ordering sessions
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photo sessions
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writing blog posts
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posting images to facebook (pathetic, I know) and designing albums.
For me, things that don’t take me mental energy or motivation include:
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Editing
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doing my accounting
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paying bills (although I don’t recommend doing THAT to get you out of a funk)
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organizing the tornado that is my desk
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making spreadsheets and calculating average sales and other metrics
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and switching the displays in my studio windows.
Honestly?
You might be the EXACT opposite of me.
You might think I’m a freak of nature for loving spreadsheets and accounting.
Just yesterday I talked to a friend who told me that when she has a headache, editing makes her “think too much” and she’d rather be shooting a wedding where she doesn’t even really have to think (and I think that SHE is a freak of nature, since I am the exact opposite)
Step 3: Take a mental break on your “funk” days, and take just one baby step
On days where you feel in a funk, unmotivated or notice you are procrastinating do things, try to do as MUCH of the low mental energy/low motivation things on your list, and as LITTLE of the high energy, high motivation things on your list.
With ONE exception.
You have GOT to get one productive thing done. One itsy bitsy, baby step done.
For me some days it’s merely getting my emails and phone calls answered.
Even if that means letting people know that I won’t be able to answer their questions that day, but that they are first on my list the next day.
Some days it means just brainstorming IDEAS for blog posts, and not writing the post itself.
For you maybe it means you read an article and take notes on pricing, so that when you are feeling motivated you can re-work your price list.
All it means, is that you take at least one tiny baby step toward something that will help you with your goals.
Because if you do one baby step every day for a week?
That’s one BIG step toward your giant hairy goal.
But the biggest thing to remember is this:
You are not allowed to label yourself an unmotivated person, a procrastinator, and get down on yourself so much.
You are just going through a funk – something EVERYONE has.
We all have funks, and your funk will pass.
Hit me up: reply back in the comments with ONE baby step you are going to do today. I read every answer!
P.S. If one of your goals is reworking your pricing, check out Tanya Goodall Smith’s in depth article on pricing here.
P.P.S. Don’t forget to reply in the comments with the ONE baby step you are going to do today. I read every answer!