We all have good days, and we have not so good. Occasionally we have something that could rightly be described as a bad day!

Our measure of good and bad are relative of course, and we could say much about perspective when discussing how we see and respond to the challenges we face.

However, this is not a discussion about perspective.

What I want to tackle here is how to wrestle a ‘bad’ day to the floor. A day when you feel zero motivation to makes forward strides. Even crawling an inch toward your goals may feel painful.

On those days, when inspiration is in short supply, and motivation is meh, I have my own palette of positive responses I choose from, depending how in-a-funk I feel.

1. I quit for the day and go do something totally out of my head. Not out of my head in the classic-sixties or naughty-nineties style, just out of the mental-gym and into nature. I love somewhere I can connect with the world outside, hills, trees, or ocean, and just take time to remember that the universe does not revolve around me or any project I might be engaged in.

2. I tidy my work and living space. Uncluttering is a physical activity with enormous emotional and spiritual benefits. I have found that depression or discouragement sometimes results from overwhelm, and that overwhelm is often accompanied by disorganisation. This for me sometimes manifests in a messy office or living space, and downing tools to take time to create a peaceful space makes a huge difference to my motivational mindset.

3. I choose to tackle less taxing activities and to wipe them from my mind. In every ecosystem of tasks there are those that demand high-level attention, others that do not. If my motivation is low I choose to leave the rhino tasks until I have more mental strength, and choose instead to tick off the tiny niggling items that take only minutes to accomplish. Often these are repetitive, boring, and uninspiring, but wow, once they are done it’s like dumping a lead weight. Those little foxes that keep wriggling out of your grasp because they are just not fun to do, are sometimes ones you can pick your way through when you are just not feeling the fire.

4. I change my pace and my space – head out with my laptop to a coffeeshop or some place I enjoy to chill, and I work from there. The change of pace, and change of space, can sometimes shift my emotional state and help me stay productive, even when I previously wasn’t feeling it.

5. I remember that I’m human and it’s ok to feel crap! Sometimes you gotta just fess up and let your disappointment or discouragement hang out, without being so hard on yourself. Life does sometimes dump on you, and piling guilty feelings about being unhappy on top of your gripes, doesn’t really help the situation. Give yourself permission to be pi**ed, have a good honest time of prayer where you spill your guts in the safety of the Father’s generous presence, allowing Him to turn your eyes to brighter more joyful thoughts. He will even overlook your potty mouth and offer some Holy Ghost soap to wash your vocabulary.

6. I reprioritise prayer and presence – I find that lack of inspiration is often due to lack of inspiration. Inspiration literally means ‘God-breathed’, and God’s words are active. Hearing Him speak leads to movement, but His pace is peace. Coming back to the Father and hearing His calm encouragements to continue makes a world of difference. Instead of frantically trying to produce fruit from my own talents and effort, I lean back into Him and remember that increase and inexpressible joy are found only in Him – not in results or fickle favours of men. He is my all-in-all, and the cool waters and fresh fields of grace are always available for His children.

How do you face your days? I would love to know.

What keys can you share that might help others refire and move forward with a sense of God’s blessing and hope for their future?