I don’t know about you, but I was ready to put 2016 behind me. I entered the New Year with a good attitude and a LONG to-do list. But now here I am in mid-January, trying to get motivated, and still feeling the residual depression of 2016. If you’re feeling “stuck,” or you’ve just been through a breakup or difficult event, or if you just feel depleted, tired, or bored, you might have lost your mojo somewhere along the way.
We all like to be in the groove – to feel like things are in sync, that we are conquering the world and attracting people to us.
But let’s face it, life is not that simple. We go through high and low points. Some mornings you put on your running shoes and feel a little rush and you’re ready to tackle the day, and on others you might want to crawl back in bed and hide under the covers.
So here’s where it gets tricky: how do you reclaim your energy and your “joie de vive” when you have no motivation? What do you do when you feel your mojo has left the building? (And why is it that the English language has no good equivalent for “mojo?”)
Getting your mojo back requires some patience and a little effort. You have to cultivate it within you, and you can do it in baby steps. But here’s what is important to remember: your mojo isn’t dependent on someone else – a new relationship, getting back with an ex, or having sex with someone new. You can reclaim your mojo all by yourself – by getting reacquainted with you.
Some questions to reflect on:
What do you like to do more than anything else?
What sparks your interest? What makes you curious?
What gives you joy?
What have you been wanting to explore/ try/ see? What is holding you back?
This last question is really important. Far too often, we place our obligations above what calls to us. This year, I challenge you to find time for those things that bring you joy, that spark your curiosity, that you’ve been wanting to try….but you haven’t. We’re all busy, but if we don’t set aside time for things we WANT in our lives, then what are we doing? Is this how you want to spend your time, going from task to task, obligation to obligation?
Make time for those things you want to do, or that you want to try. This is how you get to know yourself in a deeper way. This is how you reclaim your own happiness.
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you know how much I love hiking. There’s something about being in nature, pushing myself to go just another half mile or up yet another steep switchback. At the end of a long hike, I feel sweaty and proud, of course. But it’s the meandering, the actual step-by-step process of it, that is truly cathartic. The trail can get windy and steep. I don’t always know where I’m going. But when I put one foot in front of the other, when I keep going, I’m totally present.
Hiking is what brings me joy, but in 2017, I’m going to push myself a little more to take chances. I want to learn something new, to try something outside my comfort zone. I want to approach my own life with more curiosity, less judgment for all those tasks I’m not doing.
What’s your plan? What strikes your curiosity? What are you doing to reclaim that mojo if you’ve lost it? Or what is something you’ve always wanted to try?
XO,
Kelly
About Kelly Seal
Kelly is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She blogs about dating, relationships, personal growth and what "healthy living" means to her. You can follow her on Google+, Twitter @kellyseal or through her website www.kellyseal.com.
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