How to Get Out of a Slump

out-of-slump Getting out of a slump is not difficult, though it often requires persistence. The problem is that most people either don’t realize what they have to do to reverse a slump, or they are not willing to do it.

I have developed a 3-part strategy for overcoming a slump that works for both business and personal setbacks. The problem is that the formula is so simple — it contains a total of 7 words — that you may be tempted to dismiss it, even thought it has worked for me and hundreds of other individuals.

Here is the formula for getting out of a slump:

1. Do something.
2. Do more.
3. Keep doing it.

Let’s examine the three parts in more detail:

Step 1: Do something. Do I mean do anything, no matter how random? Well, no. But almost. Here’s what I mean….

Most people in a slump spend most of their time worrying, ruminating, and planning. They suffer from “analysis paralysis.” They become so obsessed making their next step perfect, they never take it.

You can only reverse a slump through action, so you’ve got to act — now! Not sure whether Idea A makes sense? Do it anyway. Not sure whether to take Path X or Path Y? Pick one and go forward.

The very fact that you are taking action — instead of getting stuck in inaction — will automatically start you on the road to recovery.

Step 2: Do more. There are two common reasons why people fail. One is that they don’t do the work required to get the results they want.

Putting into action just one or two ideas may help, but it’s probably not enough to totally solve your problem.

To get out of a slump requires that you take what motivational speaker Anthony Robbins calls “massive action.”

How to implement this strategy: Decide how much activity you think you really need to get fully out of your slump. Then do at least twice that amount.

Step 3: Keep doing it. The second reason people fail is that they give up to early.

Not everything you try will work. If you try one thing, then a second, then a third, and they all fail, do you give up? No. You try something else. Eventually one thing works OK. Another works better. And before you know it, you’re well on the road to turning your situation around.

But don’t just forge ahead blindly. Evaluate the results of each effort. A corollary to step 3 is: do more of what’s working, less of what’s not working.

There you have it: 3 steps … 7 words. Simple? Yes. Do the work? Absolutely. Try it and see for yourself.

Robert W. Bly is a freelance copywriter and the author of more than 50 books including Count Your Blessings: 63 Things to Be Grateful for in Everyday Life . . . and How to Appreciate Them (Thomas Nelson).