Lulls are lame. I mean they are really uncomfortable and inconvenient. But, guess what, they’re your fault. Tough blow. I know, but hear me out…

We all lose sight of ourselves at one time or another and veer slightly off course. That’s the beauty of having our own paths –  there’s no right or wrong way. While us Bs usually crush it with our day to day hustle, there are times when we go through lulls that we can’t explain. This can be lulls in our health and wellness regimens, nutrition habits, work life, or just full on life lulls. Let’s be clear, the lull that I’m referring to is not defined as “a type of calm.” No, no. The lull I’m speaking to is one I know all too well – a temporary lack of activity. What the dictionary doesn’t define is just how long “temporary” can actually be. These suckers are sometimes elaborate and drawn out.

I’m coming out of one myself. I had almost a month where I didn’t exercise consistently, which led to decreased appetite, which led to me not getting enough of the proper nutrients in my diet, which led to fatigue, lack of drive and overall motivation. All it took was a few days of not exercising to slip. They don’t lie when they say a body at rest stays at rest, especially if you have a history of being active. Once you rest, you REST HARD.

At first, I took it as a sign that I was overworking myself. My personal life was on the up and up in the best way, so I found myself more emotionally active in my free time. My work life became super busy with a big project all of the sudden and I was traveling more. The inconsistency and the drastic changes to my schedule caused overwhelm and my natural reaction was to chill in my downtime, which knocked my healthy lifestyle off course. Well, after a week off my rocker, my usual routine transitioned to a non-routine and there was no way I was going to let myself become a couch potato.

So, how did I get my motivation back? To be completely honest, it took a lot of willpower. I forced myself to make more time for me. When you’re not focused on you and you don’t listen to your body’s needs, how can you focus on anything else? Not only was I tired of feeling tired and foggy. I noticed that daily activities started to become harder. Why was walking the dog such a chore? Or carrying loads of groceries into the house? It’s because I wasn’t nurturing my body properly and adjusting my me time to match my new reality. Then, one day I got up and just went for a walk. Then my walk became the gym two days a week then became three walks a day, gym at night 3-4 times a week. It’s like that scene in Forrest Gump where he just starts running one day and he can’t stop. Once you adjust and pick yourself back up, you remember how good it feels to do what you enjoy. That’s when your motivation comes back.

Anyway, what I’m getting at here is that the height of our lulls is solely determined by how we treat ourselves. It’s not about lack of money, it’s not about lack of time, it’s not about the time of year – those are external influences.

Lulls are a direct result of our inner ability to nurture our minds, bodies and souls no matter the circumstance.

We all have our lazy days, that’s why the “cheat days” are such a treat – we know how to hustle the other days of the week.

It is up to you to take care of yourself. No one else is going to do it for you. If you’re too busy, make a change. If you’re feeling stressed, make a change. Routines reroute and that’s how life runs its course. Change isn’t just something you should accept as it happens, it’s also something you can have control over. So, while you may lose sight, you need to maintain your vision, short and long term, because every little thing you do today affects how and what you’ll do tomorrow. Feed and fuel your present so you can have a damn good future.

B3 BREAKTHROUGH
Check out these tips for how to help yourself feel motivated when those lulls are overstaying their welcome:

• Find that notebook of yours and read those notes you’ve taken during brainstorms and mind map sessions. Reflect on all the inspiring ideas you’ve had and use them to motivate yourself. It’s then that you’ll start to work toward achieving your goals bit by bit.

• Make a list of everything you feel you have to do. Then determine what needs to be done right now and what can be done eventually. When life gets busy we tend to think that everything has to be done all at once. That’s not the case. Be aware of what takes precedence in your life. Living a happy, healthy life doesn’t always mean checking things off a list, but having a list as a reference on those lull days will help you feel motivated and more with it so your reality doesn’t get away from you.

• Remember your happiest healthiest times and use that as motivation to move forward and reach that level of joy in a new and improved way.

Often times, I’ve found there’s almost a certain beauty in the chaos – the lulls, the struggle, the inconsistency, the constant up and down, the worry and anxiety of if you’re doing the right thing or going down the right path. However, if we didn’t have these speed bumps, we’d never know good from bad – what we enjoy or desire. We’d never know our own strength. We’d never know what inspires and motivates us most. It’s one thing to lose sight of yourself now and then, but don’t let it fog your vision so much that you lose sight of what you love and what makes you YOU. Wake yourself up. Turn your priorities around. Put yourself first and lulls will become lessons.