How I Get Through Uninspiring Moments [Part I]

I dream of sleeping in a Glass Igloo while watching Aurora Borealis in Finland! (image via)

The short answer-- travel and inspiring entrepreneurs.

As I’ve said, writing doesn’t come naturally for me (and, sometimes, creating doesn't come easy).  It can be a tortured process that I find the most success in when I am inspired.  I wish I could pinpoint what inspires me, bottle it up, and have it near whenever I need it.  I am miserable when I feel uninspired; even I wouldn’t want to be around me. 

As of late, my daydreams are about our honeymoon to Italy (fingers crossed we'll make it there this summer)!  (image via)

I woke up on Tuesday feeling frustrated and uninspired.  I think it’s a combination of not exercising for 4 days (I’m trying to heal a jammed toe) and feeling friction from unbalanced priorities.  This month has introduced a lot of change (some has happened already and some is in the works) and finding a new routine.  I am excited and so grateful for new opportunities but I am struggling to find balance.  So, when I’m feeling unbalanced and frustrated, I turn to a few tried and true sources of inspiration to kick start my motivation.

Redwoods make me nostalgic for our trip to Yosemite and our time in CA (image via)

One topic that I can almost always find inspiration in is travel (usually travel photos).  I have a permanent case of wanderlust (potentially evidenced by our bi-yearly re-location?).  Another topic that inspires me is “successful” female entrepreneurs (and by successful, I mean they define their own success, not financial success [although that is a nice perk]).  Two random topics, I know, but they are two of my biggest goals in life, so I guess it’s good that my inspiration and goals correlate.

To explain the flip side, some habits that uninspire and unmotivate me, here are some of my nemeses:

  • sleeping in
  • procrastinating (especially on a mundane task)
  • complaining
  • isolating myself

I've done a lot of soul searching and have found these 4 habits to be critical to my happiness and personal success (for both daily and longterm measures).  Many of my Seinfeld Method goals are aimed and minimizing these bad habits.  I've found going to a coffee shop (my current fave in Austin is Cenote) to be the single most helpful action-- getting out of the house and into a creative space helped me be extremely productive last week (like more productive than I'd been in the last two months).

 

Tell us: Who/what inspires you?  Do you have an arsenal of inspiration that you turn to?

-JCM

I'll be back on Monday to talk about huge source of inspiration for me-- female entrepreneurs.