When Hopelessness Strikes

You are tired, you might feel like you have no energy. Your workouts suck, and

Find the silver lining

you don’t feel like doing anything. You might have told yourself that you just need to get your act together and get over it. Despite all that, nothing happens, you are still there, in that seemingly dark, endless hole.

Does that sound familiar?

I am not not saying that you are depressed, even though that might be the case. You might just go through a really hard patch in your life and it finally has taken a toll on you.

First of all, if you are depressed then be aware that it is not something you simply get over it. If you are not sure if you suffer from depression, please talk to a healthcare professional to assess the situation. Should you suffer from depression, it is oft best dealt with by combining a psychologist with drug therapy. Why drugs? Depression often is the result of a neurotransmitter imbalance in your brain due to various reasons.

What causes the rabbit hole?

It might be a single major event in your life, it might be a series of events. It might be an ongoing situation you feel helplessly exposed to.

The goal is to get back on track. If you have been in this situation for a while it might well be worth talking to your healthcare professional.

If you do not suffer from depression and still have a hard time with your training, then you should look at all aspects of your life and rate them on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best) on in how far they are in alignment with your goals. Here is an example:

1. Financial Peace
   1. Financial problems are often the leading cause of stress
2. Spiritual Satisfaction
   1. People who have a happy spiritual life have a tendency to feel more fulfilled and happy overall
3. Family Relationships
   1. Family can be the cause of a lot of stress and problems but also of joy and happiness.
4. Friendships
   1. Do you have great friends, or do you have emotional leeches in your life?
5. Work Environment / Satisfaction
   1. Do you work in a job you truly enjoy, in an environment that supports you?
6. Hobbies / Creativity
   1. Do you have hobbies that supplement your need for the creative?
7. Nutrition
   1. Are you giving your body the things you need or do you deprive it of important nutrients.
8. Health
   1. How is your health? Do you struggle with diabetes, cancer?
9. Fitness
   1. Are you a fit person, or do you struggle with even small exertions in your life?

I do not claim that this list is complete. It should give you a rough idea though, on who you are and where the areas of most improvement can be found.

Tackle the Mess

If you are like most of us, then you will either try to fix it all, or fix the most difficult one first. This is a sure way of setting yourself up for failure. Instead of doing that, try a different approach. Look at your low numbers and choose 1-2 that are the easiest to fix.

Write down what problems you are going to face and how you are going to tackle it.

Look for 3-4 action steps that will get you closer to improving those goals.

Ignorance is NOT Bliss

I used to be a good procrastinator. I was actually so good at procrastinating, that at some point in my life it put the financial security of my business and family at risk. When I had trainers starting to work for me 5 years ago, I realized that I had more than myself to look out for and I had to stare my fear into the eye and confront it.

I still have a tendency to want to procrastinate. The difference though is that I am dealing with the issues at hand now, despite my fear.

Courage is not defined as the absence of fear but as the strength to act despite being afraid or in pain.

Have an awesome day,

Michael