We’ll pick up in a future episode on our mini-series on decluttering, but this week I thought I’d share a little of my heart on something I’ve been dealing with lately–discouragement. It can interfere with our productivity and our quality of life in general, but there are some things we can do to disable its power over us.
Tool of the Week:
The Ben Franklin Day Planner Template for Moleskine; created by Bob Stanke based on the day planner method reportedly used by Benjamin Franklin. Check out the YouTube video explaining what it is and how you can use it. You can buy the template for $1.99 at Bob Stanke’s website.
Topic of the Week: Dealing With Discouragement
Why do we get discouraged?
An article by Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California (see the reference below), suggests:
- Fatigue
- Frustration
- Failure
- Fear
And I toss in another one: hormones.
What effect can discouragement have on us?
- It can derail us from accomplishing the things we care about
- It can isolate us
What are some steps we can take to overcome discouragement?
- Rest
- Reorganize our lives to get a better handle on the overload that’s getting us down
- Ask for help
- Take some time to journal how we’re feeling, what’s causing it, what we might do to change those causes
- Stop comparing ourselves to others!
- Focus our thinking on positive, encouraging things – check out the quotes at the WomenWorking.com Facebook page
- Cultivate a grateful heart – celebrate the small accomplishments
- Turn your focus to someone else – find someone to help or encourage
Some great resources to look at:
- “Some Cures for Discouragement,” by Rick Warren on CBN.com.
- “7 Reasons Why People Get Easily Discouraged,” on MindBody Breakthrough website.
- “What to Do When You Feel Discouraged as an Entrepreneur,” by The Big Enough Company on Forbes.com.
- “12 Things to Do When We Get Discouraged,” by Ryan Clements on Lifehack.
- Lots of encouraging posts at Ann Voskamp’s website.
Your turn: Do you feel discouraged sometimes? How do you deal with discouragement? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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Wow! I never considered things such as fatigue and hormones as potential causes of discouragement. But now that I think of it, you are absolutely right!
Especially for women that experience fluctuations in hormone levels due to monthly cycle.
There definitely are a variety of causes to be investigated when someone’s feeling down and discouraged.
Laura, thank you so much for featuring my Ben Franklin Day Planner for Moleskine as you tool pick of the week! I hope we can connect up some time down the road. (And now I am listening to the entire backlog of your podcast series!). Take care and thanks again! -Bob Stanke
You’re very welcome, Bob. It looks like a useful tool. Thank you for stopping by!
Laura