What I Do When I Don't Know What To Do

Ahhhhhh another day of writing without any direction. I will say that I really enjoy this style of writing. It allows me to open up my mind to just about anything without trying to keep myself focused on one particular topic.

Sometimes, doing just that can help in solving our problems. What do I mean by this? Well, for example, there's this thing called writer's block where apparently writers can't think clearly and basically forget how to write. My thinking is if that can happen to writers then can't it happen to all of us in different aspects of our lives? Don't we all face situations and times where we feel stuck? Where we don't know what to do next?

Don't lie to yourself. We all go through times where we feel like we're at the end of the road and don't know what to do next.

One of the strategies I like to apply when either I don't know what to do next or the future seems rather hopeless, which happens a lot, is to try my best to clear my mind and just instinctively do whatever I'm thinking next. Not following me? Say, for example, I feel like I'm at the end of the road and one of my dreams or desires is falling apart. Instead of throwing in the towel or quitting my mind starts to think of alternative solutions or ways that I can fix it. My mind often starts shooting out ideas like a web off of this main idea in the center. Then I start writing these ideas down and the next thing I know I have a hundred sticky notes on the wall. Sometimes these thoughts and ideas aren't even related to the problem itself. But I still write them down anyway because if it's on my mind then it must be important to me in some way.

If I've got a problem with Up Before You and my mind thinks....Cheetos! Then, I put Cheetos on a sticky note and put it on the wall.

Or...maybe I'm just hungry.

Also, don't be afraid to take a breather if you're in this situation. Take a nap, take a walk, watch a TV show, listen to music, read a book, etc. Do whatever is going to put your mind at ease and allow you to think more clearly. Far too often today we are told to simply WORK HARDER. A lot of the time this is true and we do need to work harder. But sometimes it's not true and sometimes it just leads us further down the road of burnout. Learn to know the difference. You can only do that by paying attention to yourself and your thoughts over a long period of time. Don't always just resort to working harder all the time. We all need to destress regularly or else we're just going to keep digging ourselves into a hole.

Lastly, learn. Read books, listen to podcasts, and watch documentaries about people you aspire to be like or who have gone through similar situations as you are going through right now. See what worked or didn't work for them and how that might affect you and your present situation. I believe when we stop learning we start dying. Or at least we start getting weaker mentally and physically.

Be a life-long student in everything you do. There's always someone out there who knows more about something than you do.

And don't take yourself too seriously. In the grand scheme of things, we are merely passing through.

Well, there you go. My thoughts for the day! I hope you found these thoughts and ideas valuable in some way or another. If you ever have any feedback, thoughts, ideas, or rebuttals don't ever hesitate to reach out! Even if that is to tell me I'm an idiot. Let's try and stay away from things I already know.

Have a Great Day!

Get After It.