What to Do When You're Not in the Mood

Oh my gosh you guys—you're kidding me! There are times when you DON'T WANT to do your test prep? You mean, you look at your calendar and see "SAT Prep" clearly inked in with your favorite pen and you're not like, "Heck yes, let's go!" ?  I don't understand. I thought I could maybe address this topic, but I was wrong. I'm stumped. I cannot relate.

Oh, wait, yes I can! 

Seriously though. Not being "In the mood" happens to everyone and it isn't limited to activities that we flat out dislike. I generally consider myself to be someone who enjoys cooking, and, yet, there are times when I'm not particularly in the mood to cook. I love writing this blog and reaching out to you all. But there are times when I know that Wednesday is approaching and think to myself, "I will write something tomorrow."

So, what do we do when it isn't an optional once-a-week obligation to be fulfilled at any point but a practice, something we must show up for time and time again? 

Here are some ideas. 

I'm going to make this general, because I think this advice is generally applicable, but for the sake of specificity, you can always insert "test prep" into [activity].

1. Ask yourself, "What do I enjoy about doing [activity]?"   There's something, I promise you. Maybe you like the adrenaline before time runs out. Maybe it's learning a new concept that you know will come in handy in the future. Maybe you like the sense of accomplishment when the prep session is done. Maybe it's the sense that you are showing up for yourself. Maybe you like the next few hours when you know you've done it and don't need to do it again for another day. There is something in it for you. Hone in on what that "something" is.
2. Skip It    Just like the math problem that you can't figure out right in that moment, it's totally fine to reorganize the schedule you've set for yourself. If you feel like you might be more "in the mood" to do [activity] after dinner, swap it with your history homework. As long as you are doing something productive, you aren't losing time.
3. Take a Break   Give yourself five to fifteen minutes to walk around, take a nap, do plow pose, go for a run, play with your dog, or do something else totally unrelated that helps you to recharge. Often, we are more productive after a break, so that fifteen minutes is time well spent. Just be sure that you don't hit "snooze" when the fifteen minutes are up.
4. Go to Your Playlist   Listen to music that energizes you. Doesn't have to be the Rocky soundtrack, but it certainly could be.
5. Suck it Up   We're all adults here. Now, I'm certainly not equating being an adult with doing everything you don't want to do. There's a lot of fun and freedom mixed in there, too. But the breakthroughs can't happen if you don't show up for them, and with adulthood comes the ability to sit your ass down and getterdone no matter what your inner four-year-old "feels like."  In her book The Creative Habit (which you should all read), legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp writes, "Being prepared for luck is like getting a voice message that tells you, something good may happen to you between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. today. Make sure you are at your desk (or in your studio or office or at your laboratory bench) working and keep your eyes open for it." That's it. The same thing applies here. And maybe the breakthrough won't happen today, but it's entirely possible that the work you do today could lead to the breakthrough tomorrow. Progress is never steady, but it does build on itself. This is one of the best pieces of advice I've ever heard regarding any creative endeavor, and I think it applies to many activities beyond creative ones (including test prep). Don't wait until you are inspired to do the work. Do the work. Doing the work is an invitation for inspiration.

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