I have posted a grand total of two posts on my site over the past couple weeks.  My goal is to publish a new post at a minimum every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Obviously I’ve been missing the mark!

Has that ever happened to you?  Things are going well for you, and then bam!  You hit a road block, a dry spell, or just a rough period.  You may be missing the mark in your marriage, your family, your work, or other areas.

Nothing, but frustration

There have been times I’ve sat down at the computer to write, and just couldn’t do it.  Or I’d spend a day “working,” and what seemed like productivity, only to look up at the end of the day to have nothing important to show for it.  Those are some of the most frustrating days to have.

The worst part is I just couldn’t figure it out, and I just couldn’t get out of it.  I kept trying to “buckle down” and close out “distractions,” but nothing.  The same result happened.  No new posts, no important work done, and more frustration.

Lost, lonely, and empty feelings

In marriage it may look like you and your spouse just passing each other by daily.  You eat together, sleep together, have conversation, but none of it has real meaning.  Or in parenting, you take your kids to school, or their activities, have a meal or two together, but you look back on the week and nothing of real valued transpired between you.  Time passes, but you feel a little lost, a little lonely, and very empty.

I read a blog post yesterday by Michael Hyatt about getting rid of professional isolation and loneliness.  He was specifically addresses many bloggers like myself who don’t have people around them working with them.  We spend a lot of time in front of a computer.  A lot of time closed up in our office, or “writing room.”

A few things to help stop missing the mark

Michael shared some things I realize I’ve been missing and can help me hit the mark, become more fruitful, and not feel like things are just passing by.  It got me thinking and I decided to share his insight as well as mine to help us stop missing the mark in key areas of our lives.

1. Surround yourself.  Get with others going where you want to go.  Michael created Platform University to provide a place where bloggers and platform builders are able to share and support one another.  In your marriage this may be in the form of double dating, hanging out with other couples, or being a part of a small group or ministry.
2. Get out and live.  I’ve been blessed with a lot of writing opportunities over the past couple months.  I have a lot of articles and posts to write each month.  My solution was to spend more time in my office, which has no windows, and in front of my computer.  I’ve cancelled a lot of meetings, and a lot of ways I’ve interacted with people.  What I’m realizing is that interaction is what feeds me, my writing, and my life.  So getting outside of your little area, your house, your work, and even your comfort zone will feed you.
3. Get off your butt!  For the first time in my life I have really felt out of shape!  And I hate it!  I’ve been active playing sports since I could walk.  I played baseball and basketball through high school, and went on to play college basketball after that.  I usually play in some kind of basketball league or at least played pick-up on a consistent basis.  I even began running for a while.  But recently I’ve done nothing!  A couple weeks ago, my wife and I signed up for the Indy Color Me Rad 5K, but we’ve been inconsistent with our training.  All of this has left me tired and bloated!  And help contribute to me missing the mark.
4. Be selfish.  You may remember me taking the 30-Day Early to Rise Challenge a few months ago.  The challenge calls for you to rise early for 30 straight days in a an effort to become a permanent early riser.  I did great, then I fell off.  One of the benefits of being an early riser is you get to be selfish, at 5am, when your family is sleep.  Well, the days I didn’t rise early caused me to miss the time alone I had to think, refresh, plan, prepare, write, or whatever.  I was waking up to kids needing things.  My days became hectic from the jump!

If you have found yourself missing the mark in an area of your life, the four insights above may apply to your situation.  You can begin to make adjustments and ultimately hit the mark in your marriage, parenting, work, or other areas.

What else can you do to stop missing the mark?

photo credit: wstryder via photopin cc