What the heck am I doing? Why? What’s the point? Is this really worth the effort? Am I going nowhere here?
Some days seem harder than others. Sometimes I look at my life and where I’m at, what I’m doing, where my effort is being spent, and wonder if I’m wasting my time. If I’m actually going somewhere.
I can look at each individual effort and try to reevaluate my goals. Where was it I was aiming for when I set out on this path? Am I making any headway?
Sometimes the answer is a clear cut “yes” or “no”, but often it’s hazy and depends on interpretation of goals and success. Everything in life is fluid, and easily defined success and failure is hard to come by. So how do I know?
When the blues come on, and I’m doubting myself, I consider the 3 D’s – Direction. Desire. Determination.
What is my direction? Do I have a clear vision of where I’m headed towards? Do I know the steps I need to take now to bring me closer to where I want to be? If I’m not sure where I want to go, or how to get there, this is what I need to focus on. If what I’m doing now isn’t a stepping stone to where I want to go, I need to change my path, or change my destination.
Then I consider my desire. How much do I really want to reach this goal? Is it important, either to my livelihood or my soul? If I’m not as excited about the end goal as I once thought I was, maybe it’s time to reevaluate. Also, is this cutting into my achievement of something else I desire more? If this is the something I really want to be a part of my story, recognizing this often gives me the refresher of motivation I need to push through the “What the heck am I doing?” phase.
Finally, I address my determination. If this is something I can see clearly as what I want, am I doing all I can to make it happen? Is my all (or as much of me as I can responsibly spare) invested in achieving my goal? If not, what do I need to do to bring myself back onto the “Get ‘er done” wagon? Do I need to talk to someone about my goals to re-realize them? Is there a workshop or group I could participate in to renew my interest and provide me with the tools to get moving again?
Often, by the time I’m finished consulting with my self over the first two points, I’ve come to a place of being determined again, and am eager to start putting my newfound enthusiasm in place. Or, I’ll have realized that, no, it’s not really worth it to me, and focus my energy somewhere that I am passionate about.
Are you stuck in a rut of “What’s the point?” What do you do to help bring yourself out of the blues and into action?