Monday Morning Margarita

Happy Monday!

I dropped the ball BIG TIME! Haven’t blogged in three weeks—not because I haven’t wanted to, nor because I’ve been too busy. As best I can describe it, I’ve been very out of sync. I just couldn’t seem to get it together. And I’ve missed it (blogging that is).

Monday Morning Margarita is one of the measures I use to gauge my progress toward my goals, and I’ve felt pretty guilty about not keeping up. After all, I think to myself, how hard is it to post at least once a week?

While it’s not as easy as it may appear, more than anything, it requires discipline; and as of late, this is where I’ve struggled most.

Then it hit me, just like any other profoundly “duh” moment…

As a business student, I’ve read and analyzed dozens of cases about the rise and fall of various companies. Although the specific circumstances may have differed, the one common denominator—in just about every case—was each company’s inability to foresee and adapt to change. They all failed to recognize that what made them successful in the past was not enough to sustain that success in future.

Soooo… the moral of the story is… when what used to work is no longer effective, it’s time for change.

What does that mean to me? It means that unless I want to suffer the same fate as those companies, I must recognize when change is needed—AND ACT ON IT.

More specifically, I’ve worked from home, very effectively, for the past 7 years. Recently, I’ve been unable to focus, and am only marginally productive. Why? I haven’t a clue—and why isn’t important. What matters is that I figure out how to get my mojo back. I haven’t quite nailed it, but I have made progress.

How? I got out of the house! Once I realized I was no longer effective at home, I changed my venue. I visited libraries, cafes/restaurants (anywhere with Internet access), and met at my accountability partner’s house.  If I am home, I turn off the television and other sources of distraction. I read out loud… Sometimes I record myself and re-listen in the car on my way to class. So, I not only changed my venue, I’ve also changed my routine.

Thus far, these tactics have worked, so I’ll stick with them—until they’re no longer fruitful.

Feeling as though you’re stuck in a rut? Figure out what needs to change, and start making changes, until you find what works. Change is good! It keeps us on our toes.

I love Mondays!