What To Do When You Feel Uninspired

by Celes |
Filed in Productivity

“Hi Celes, life is the result of the emotions you feel from moment to moment (resulting in the connectedness to a wonderful life). What do you do when there are the moments where it feels ‘dry’? – Michel
How do you deal with loss of motivation?” — Charu

I firmly believe that all of us have access to an infinite pool of inspiration. When we are tapped into our inspirational source, we will be in a pinnacle of inspiration and constantly have a flow of ideas. When we aren’t, we will feel dry, uninspired, and unmotivated, just like how people would feel when they are in a rut or a mid-life crisis.

The thing is, contrary to popular belief, whether we are inspired or uninspired is something that is entirely within our locus of control. Most people think that inspiration is about being in the right place, with the right people, and in the right moment, but it really isn’t. Inspiration is simply about (a) knowing what your inspirational sources are, and (b) knowing how to channel into them. As long as you stay connected to your source, you can perpetually be in a state of inspiration, or “flow”, as some would call it.

For example, connecting with people is one of my inspirational sources; I simply love meeting people and connecting with them.

There was a time earlier this year when I was spending a fair bit of time in my home office and spent very little time meeting people. I soon felt drained, edgy, and unhappy, which in turn spilled over to my work and made me unproductive.

After realizing my rut was the result of not having enough social contact, I made a point to have at least two to three social appointments a week. Just last week, I was a part of three social events, two group gatherings, and seven one-to-one in-person appointments (work and personal). Regularly connecting with people has energized me greatly, which has in turn put me in a state of flow for both my business and personal engagements.

People often ask me how it is that I get constant inspiration for my business or my writings. It’s really about knowing what my inspirational sources are (which include meeting new people, connecting with them, helping others to grow, and having time for self-reflection), and tapping into them.

It’s the same for highly prolific artists, singers, and performers—the ones who constantly release new works, one after another. They do so because they are connected with their source. Some do it subconsciously without realizing it, while others are more deliberate in doing things to trigger a “flow” state.

If you feel uninspired or “dry”, think of the things that inspire you. What inspires you? What drives you forward? What do you live for? What makes you happy? When did you last feel inspired (likely when you were away from work) and what were you doing then? Write down the things that come to mind. Don’t overthink the questions; simply write.

Then, find ways to do those things. So if you are a mom and your inspiration comes from spending time with your kids, then do that. If you are a photographer and your inspiration comes from being in nature, then spend some time in nature. If you are a junior executive and your inspiration comes from being around talented individuals, then identify the talented folks in your department/company and hang around them more often.

Dedicate at least one to two hours every day doing that activity; more or less if needed. Use that time to tickle your inspirational senses and recharge yourself at the same time. You will find that at the end of the activity, you will strangely feel more prolific and ready to get more things done. You may even get new ideas while you were doing it!

This approach works because the things that inspire you give you energy. You don’t want to spend time away from these things; you want to do them as often as you can, or as often as they bring value to you. (Doing something beyond a certain point can lead to reverse effects since the ad nauseum effect will kick in.) To the point where you are connected with your inspirational sources, you will feel inspired. To the point where you are not connected with your inspirational sources, you will not feel inspired.

My inspiration today has been a result of direct, concerted efforts to create that “flow” zone for myself, rather than simply subjecting inspiration to chance. This is why I tend to have no problems writing articles, getting article ideas, and getting ideas for upcoming projects.

The thing is, there are still times when I get into a rut, especially when the going gets tough and I lose touch with my bases (say being overwhelm with day-to-day business activities and losing touch with my original intent of helping people). When that happens, I do not let myself get defined or be subjected by my rut. I take a step back, understand why I have entered the rut, identify the gaps that are causing it, then take action to fill those gaps.

The result has been an increasingly aligned self and an aligned life where inspiration comes naturally and ruts become a thing of yesteryear.

Read my related articles:

Is Your Routine Empowering You? – How to create an empowering routine such that you will be inspired, 24/7
Why We Have Slumps And How To Get Out Of Them – One of the major reasons why we have slumps—Because we neglect ourselves (and our needs)