Best selling author, Marshall Goldsmith says mojo is the moment when we do something that's purposeful, powerful, and positive and the rest of the world recognizes it. The word “mojo” derives from an African language and relates to spells that generate luck and power.
I couldn't agree more. Mojo is energy that gets us out of bed in the morning (or at whatever hour) and gets us to work and into our day. It’s our reason for trying.
When we lose our mojo, we feel stressed, tired, bored, lethargic and overwhelmed. I recently went through a phase where I lost my MOJO. It's perfectly human. And it's no wonder why. We are the most distracted we've ever been. How can you truly be in the moment when we are bombarded with so much information? The average American spends 8-12 hours a day living through a screen, while receiving or sending about 400 texts a month (teens are at about 3,700), and dedicates 30% of leisure time to perusing the web. HUH?
To reclaim your mojo, here are some ideas...
1. Re-focus on the basics. Are you eating, sleeping, and exercising? If not, get moving! Feeling too connected? Perhaps you need a digital detox? Geraldine Mongold, a Product Manager in Austin advises how important just the basics can be to finding the answer. "Find some quiet time for just yourself, walking, meditating, sitting at the beach, and let your thoughts go where they will. When you're on the right path, your body and heart will tell you," she says.
2. Revisit your passions. Entrepreneur Dan Geist says "Go back to what first attracted you to them and make sure it's still there. If it isn't, then try to find out if there is something else that's equally satisfying. If not, perhaps its time to move on." Dan's right. Sometimes you need to realign your priorities. Hey, we are allowed to change our minds on what gets us going, right?
3. Grab the low hanging fruit. Bryan Quintana designs smart homes for a living. His advice is simple . "Go for the easy stuff sounds a little silly, but sometimes it's nice to obtain easy goals." Sometimes easy success is all we need.
4. Hang with 'Mojo Makers'. Sometimes the best thing to do is to socialize with those who run around with cups full of mojo. Be with people who make you laugh and put off those who might drain your energy.
5. Change your attitude. The #1 thing I've done to reclaim my mojo was own my attitude and change it. Positive thoughts and attitudes create more sparkle in our lives. Our MOJO comes from within, therefore we are what we in fact, create.
When have you ever lost your MOJO? How did you get it back? What steps do you take daily to protect it? Stay tuned to tomorrow's Remarkable Women Wednesdays. Guest blogger, Shantera Chatman will tell us how she got unstuck and brought her MOJO to the next level.