Today I hit the reset button on blog writing by saying YES to a 30-day blogging challenge.  Thank you (I think) Tim Gillette for the list of 30 blogging subjects to prime and focus my ideas.

Why even do this??  My life is busy enough!  Besides, there are so many challenges out there.  I even have one to encourage people watch Ready, Set, UNSTOPPABLE, my pocket mindset trainer.  Do they even work?  It’s completely crazy to commit to blogging for 30 days (I will blog on weekdays and take weekends off), which is exactly why I decided it’s the perfect next action.

The truth is… I haven’t written a blog in almost a year even though I know it’s one of the most valuable ways to serve my clients.  I’ve been in a writing tailspin, and this challenge has EXACTLY the qualities it takes me, and possibly you, to pull out of a tailspin.  These qualities are disruptive, counter-intuitive and uncomfortable:  The irony is they work EVERY time.

To hit your productivity reset button and recover your flow, seek out experiences that make you feel one or more of these qualities.  

1. Is it uncomfortable? Are the results uncertain?  Perfect, go there!  Because that’s where you are guaranteed growth and it is growth that changes the course of things.  It takes massive action to get out of the gravitational pull of a tailspin.  Hitting the reset button means getting 3-4% into your discomfort range; and that can feel massive.  More is not better here.  More than 3-4% can cause us to feel threatened, protective and shut down.  You want to get out of the rut, not hunker down.

2. Is there a consequence? For me this feels like something is sitting on my chest and I can barely breathe.  Will someone else know if the promise is fulfilled or not?  Will some part of the challenge reveal your humanity?  Perfect, go there!  Because the thinking that causes tailspins usually starts when we are alone.  It starts with an embarrassing moment or stumble that we don’t’ want to admit and then slowly we start avoiding the very thing that will get us going again.  Being witnessed in our reset ensures that the back doors and escape routes of avoidance are closed, or at least painful.  Say good-bye to alibi hour!

3. Will you – not to be confused with can you? Will you do whatever it takes to fulfill on the challenge 100%?  Will you – even if it means giving up something you like?  Perfect, go there!  Resets are disruptive because the leaks that result in a tailspin happen gradually as we allow our priorities to take the backseat and little-by-little it becomes a habit to let commitments slide.

I was sure I would be writing again by March after my webinar.  I was sure I would be writing again by June after my trip to Seattle during which had set aside time specifically to write.  And I was sure I would be writing again by September after I finished my book.  I’m pretty sure that without a reset it will be January and I will still be in the downward someday-syndrome spiral

This is IT!  This blog is my 100% YES to the challenge.  Please join me in the journey.  I plan to learn a lot about myself with this stretch.  You will probably learn WAY more about me than you want to know.  And most of all I hope you learn something valuable for YOU.

Please post you observations and questions below.  I would love to hear what helps you hit the reset button on your commitments or what tailspin has you spiraling right now.