There are times when we feel like everything is heading in the right direction. Our work is rewarding and we’re enjoying time outside of the office. Then, we hit a slump. We lose our mojo – our passion, energy, motivation or ability to be effective.
It can happen without notice or gradually build up over time. Even the best leaders have hit a plateau and been in a funk – professionally, personally or both.
So how do you get it back?
- Check your buckets.
Our mojos are most often affected by one of three key areas: our personal life, work or family. Which bucket is most depleted? This requires us to understand ourselves well so we know where to focus. Re-establishing your mojo takes keen self-awareness. - Start with yourself.
If all your buckets are feeling far from full, start with your personal bucket. Your personal happiness determines how you show up for work and how you interact with your family and friends. It’s easy to let this one slide when focusing too much energy at work or with family. What would help fill your personal bucket? For me right now, it’s taking time to work out, spending time with my grandkids and prioritizing more time for my social life.
- Change your view at work.
You will experience ebbs and flows at work that are out of your control. There will be wins and there will be losses. The key is to have more wins. It’s not uncommon to feel less effective at work at times. Sometimes I feel like I have days that are really productive, and other times not so much. Whether you’re beginning your career or have been with your company for many years like I have, we all encounter challenges that require us to regroup. Getting your mojo back at work typically requires a realignment of your perspective – and expectations.
- Focus on the people most important to you.
This is about spending quality time with your family and friends. What you do and who you do it with goes a long way in influencing your happy meter. Think about how good you feel when you have something fun to look forward to. I think we all know when it’s time for us to take the initiative and refill this bucket. Later in life when we look back, it will be our relationships that really matter. - Set goals and commit to action.
How you invest your time impacts your mojo. Are you spending yours wisely? Getting your mojo back often requires us to modify our routine and sometimes identify things that we should stop doing. These activities could be bringing us down or distracting us from doing what’s most important. Set new goals and make a plan to achieve them, just like we do in business. That means selecting 1-3 items to take action on, setting timelines and holding yourself accountable. - Seek out a personal coach.
We often use coaches (or consultants) in business to help us get our companies back on track. Personal coaches can do the same for us as individuals. They bring a new and objective perspective to the situation and provide third party input to help us address our issues. Sometimes we need to hear things that maybe others won’t tell us. When you’re on the inside, it can be hard to see a way out – even when it’s simple.
We all have times when we feel like we’re stuck – and we just want to get back on top and feel good again. It can take time. We have to be intentional, possibly enlisting others to help. One of the best first steps I’ve found is to engage with people you trust and are positive influences in your life.
Getting your mojo back requires you to recognize where you are out of balance and take the initiative to do something about it.
