I got into my mahi because I love making a positive difference in people’s lives. I want to see people strive to be, and bring the best version of themselves to their lives and work. My wish is that humans, despite life’s curveballs, rise, dust themselves off, and continue to grow and flourish. I have lived this in my own life many times, and know it is achievable.

In this post, I want to address something serious. Something that can be our driving force. Without it, we can be overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness. 

It is our mojo, our purpose. This is the ‘thing’ that lights a fire in our belly, that spurs us to jump (or hobble) out of bed in the morning, and go face the world, despite challenges.

But what happens when ‘stuff’ happens, and we feel our mojo slipping away from us?

These past couple of years have been tough. Stepping into 2022 we continue to face the ripple of challenges. We ended 2021 with a whirlwind of “sorting and patching”. The break we intended may have happened in our physical body, but not totally in our mind. We celebrated the New Year with a hope to return to some semblance of ‘normality’, only to be greeted by another way of ‘doing things’.

During these times, it can be hard to keep buoyant. It can feel as though we are drowning in a wave of compliance, management and mitigation. Overwhelmed by an incessant wave of decisions, we become fatigued, and perhaps, also, our self-confidence gets a little wobbly.

For some of us, managing this ‘stuff’ is not why we got into our careers. It may even feel that the passion we had for our chosen career may be slipping away, and we are at risk of becoming adrift. Fear for ourselves and our future can come calling.

“When work is enriching, life is fuller, and that spills over into the things you do outside work,” he said to me. But “when it’s deadening,” you feel “shattered at the end of the day, just shattered.”

Hari, J. (2018) 

I want to acknowledge these times are hard. 

It is also exhausting. When we are not able to get our dose of “passion-project” or “energy-giving” mahi, we are not working in flow. Like trying to swim against an outgoing tide, it is energy-draining and tiresome. 

So how might we regain our mojo when we feel it slipping away?

• Check-in with your sleeping patterns. Are you getting a good night’s sleep, and enough of it? I know myself that if my sleep is not good, neither is my ability to cope well during stressful situations.
• Keep talking. Find someone who you can talk with about your feelings and fears, to support you to find traction and refocus. This may be through EAP services, through a certified coach, or it may be with someone who comes ‘into’ your work-space on a regular basis that has the skills to support you through their listening. For those of you who have MoE PLD providers, consider repurposing some of your hours for professional supervision (yes, you can do that!).
• Journal. Find a private place to record your thoughts, or review your day and set your intention for the next day. Look for the wins you have had, and the things you are grateful for.
• Feed and uplift your soul. Read a book/article, listen to a podcast, or watch a video of something that feeds and uplifts your soul. Find your soul-food and have a nibble on that each day.
• Micro-moments. Begin to take micro-moments in your day. These are moments when you physically and mentally slow down or stop. Take a moment to lower your shoulders, and focus on your breathing. You could even use the box breathing approach.

Reference: Hari, J. (2018). Lost connections: Uncovering the real causes of depression—and the unexpected solutions. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.