Overcoming Lethargy by Shifting Perspectives
Lethargy can enter our lives in many ways. It can come from an imperceptible creep over time due to the monotony of daily routines. It can also arrive from a dramatic change in our lives such as moving to a new city.
“The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment in which you first find yourself.” — Mark Caine
I became lethargic after a big shift in my life. I recently moved to New Mexico to begin a new phase of work, something that is meant to be exciting and can open doors to many opportunities for growth and travel. Surprisingly, I experienced the opposite reaction — one of decreased motivation and anxiety towards the future.
An online course I am taking, Warriors Edge, the Military version of the Finding Your Best course created by high performance psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais and coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks, opened my mind to what I was feeling and how to overcome it.
In one of the lessons, they begin by explaining how Grit is a combination of our inner fire (motivation/vision) and perseverance (ability to consistently confront and overcome difficult challenges). As I progressed through the lesson and answered their questions, I realized perseverance wasn’t a problem, as I am not one to stray from a challenge. Rather, my difficulty was with my inner fire. I didn’t have a clear driving force to get me out of bed everyday and keep me motivated if burnout began to loom.
The thing is, I didn’t realize that I was experiencing prolonged lethargy. I simply felt as if I was still suffering from a temporary dip caused by my move. However, as I kept reading, it became clear it was much deeper than that. Progressing through this lesson invigorated me. It showed me that what I’ve been missing is the vision for the future (where I want to be, what I want to accomplish, and who I want to become). Then, from this vision I can work backwards create the goals I need to accomplish to achieve that vision. This process can then set me back up on an actionable trajectory for a better future. One, I can be excited about.
I believe creating a vision and planning for the future worked so dramatically because it shifted my perspective and provided me with a feeling of optimism. Becoming stuck in the present moment can sometimes limit optimism. This is because optimism is inherently future-based. When we plan for our future by creating a detailed vision of where we want to be, we change how we look at the world. That view gives us insight into the possibilities and removes the lethargy holding us back.
