I feel like to be a writer, or a content creator of any sort, there needs to be a creative element to some degree. Content needs to be fresh, new, and interesting in order to appeal to the audience. Sometimes, it is hard to think about interesting content that can entertain a lot of people, and sometimes some topic YOU think is fresh, new, and interesting may not be of interest to anyone else, never mind a whole slew of people on social media. What is even worse is when you think you have a great idea, and then when it comes time to execute, nothing comes out through your fingers and onto your computer screen, and you have no idea how to make your idea come to life in an interesting way, or even a way long enough to tell a story about it to an audience.
That has been my issue over the past few months, when I have not been submitting. I didn't have any idea what to write about for one week, and then one week became two, two became three, and you can guess how that ended. It is for sure something I'm not proud of, failing to follow through with a commitment, and failure to admit to myself that it was a problem that needs to be solved. But how do we solve these types of personal, internal problems? What are some methods we can use and actions we can take when there is a personal problem that we are faced with and we are the only ones who can change and solve the problem for ourselves?
Coming back to campus, I made a promise to myself that I would find a way to change, the first step. Over the first week, I felt as though a good step up from the promise would be getting a feel for my schedule in terms of when I would have time to devote to actually carrying out the promise I made to myself. I realized that I needed time to cook meals, study, get some work done in between classes, and maybe some time for me to relax as well, because that's important too. I have come to realize when in my schedule I have free time to devote to doing reading and homework, and when I have time to devote to myself, and the best places on campus to encourage me to do the certain task that has to be carried out.
Once this is all figured out, step 3 is the more difficult part of it. Step 3 is actually executing and forcing yourself to carry out the task at hand in an attempt to get into a groove, which I am actually trying out at the moment.
It is hard to admit you have a problem, and even harder to take responsibility for it and take necessary steps to solve it. But, with a little self-discipline and lots of hard work, any problem can be easily overcome. You don't need to use the three steps I used, all you need to do is find a method that works for you, and you can easily get the job done, and learn a little more about yourself along the way.
Having a support system is also a great way to stay on top of keeping your goals. My support system to try and make sure I kept thinking of content to submit is my friends here on campus that also write for Odyssey. When I would see them submit and promote their articles on social media, it was a constant reminder to me to get back on top of what I had to do. Having people verbally remind you of what you have to do is a great way to make sure you try and stay on top of things. Another great way to stay on top of things is to set a reminder in your phone every week and or write it in your planner, like it was a homework assignment that was going to be graded or looked at. That way there, you will be more motivated to actually sit down, focus, and get it done.
A slump is okay sometimes, but it's what you do about that slump that matters most. There is a learning opportunity in every slump that you can get so much out of and come out the other side knowing even more about yourself than you did before. Once you hit that slump, don't stay at the bottom, and actually try to make it better. You got this!
http://puppy-meme.com/believe/
:)
