Not feeling it today? It’s ok to have an off day or days, we all do. Give yourself a hall pass. Every single day we have responsibilities that we need to take care of. Not all people have an Executive Assistant, a significant other, or someone they can count on to help them through a rough patch. So what do we do?
For years I would feel guilty for even thinking that I didn’t feel like doing something of importance. Even for a moment. This for me was psychological warfare. But why? When you have put yourself on a course for certain goals and you have the mentality that you take on the world, any negative ripple can throw you sideways. Not everyone is this way. Some could really care less and don’t have good work ethics or living standards. That’s not me and that’s certainly not you.
I know it’s not you because you are here on this grand journey with all of us learning, growing, and taking on the world. So I believe that you guys may be just like me when you’re having an off day. You kind of beat yourself up over it. We have to figure out a healthy way for us to not beat ourselves up, but also not to become complacent with it.
If you are the type that has a history of hammering away at your goals and having great routines and habits then, by all means, step back and do something else instead. For those of you that have the bad habit of constantly giving up and throwing in the towel on an off day, I caution you. I caution you because if you frequently do this it is very damaging for forward-thinking and momentum.
You may just have to suck it up buttercup and get back to it the best way you can. Of course, if it’s truly an off day, then any action can really yield bad results. Hence the saying, “off day.” You know yourself and you know your tendencies. Be smart about your decisions moving forward so that you don’t end up falling off the wagon yet again. Try to adopt a new mindset and routine. Something like even if you are having an off day, doing something no matter how big or how small can certainly make you feel as you still are capable of moving that needle forward.
I will give you an example. I personally have been having like off weeks which really sucks in my world because of having multiple businesses. The domino effect started several weeks back when out of the blue my shin started hurting really bad. Doing my daily walks became excruciating. There was absolutely zero ability to concentrate on anything and it was causing me to spiral out of control. It was discovered that I had tendonitis on my shin. Boo.
My strict routine was completely shot down and I had no idea how to fix it. As you guys know I have my morning routine which consists of the first 30min walk of the day at 4:45 a.m., 15 to 20min meditation, do some push-ups, and barbell curls. I do these every single day. Then I also have two other 30min walks, one before lunch and the last one in the afternoon. When you are feeling out of sorts like this you can see how so many things could suffer and get derailed.
My canceled walks were coupled with not doing the pushups, barbell curls, or meditation. My brain was overwhelmed with the pain. I am hard on myself and feel guilty not doing the things that I want or need. In most cases, I would just force myself and end up with mediocre results at best. Additionally, the continued walking made it way worse than it could have been.
My discovered remedy was to first stop being so hard on myself and recognize that it is ok to have an off day or days. I then gave myself a much-needed hall pass. Mainly due to my doctor having a mini come-to Jesus meeting about the long-term effects on my body by ignoring the signs to slow down. I had been mainly on the couch with Ace bandage wrap on my leg, alternating between hot and cold packs, and sulking like a child.
Conclusion
Take the time you need when you are having an off day but be your own thermostat and recognize your tendencies. If you are normally not a routine-based person then you really should amp things up when you can. If you already have good routines, try not to stay down for too long as it makes it a nightmare to get back into the groove.
