The Funk

No matter how hard we try, regardless of the job we have (traveler, desk jockey, middle-management, CEO, or Mom) the funk seems to roll around every now and then. You've been there. You find yourself questioning if you are in the right position, does what I am doing really matter, have I achieved my goals, and is this all there is?? And when the funk comes, it impacts work, home, family, your whole life.

When I get the funk, I inevitably find myself soul searching and looking at what I am presently holding as priorities. What I usually find, is that a contributor to my funk, is that a high percentage of my daily effort, is NOT being applied towards those tasks that I would consider a priority in my life. This high effort, low reward recognition helps to keep my priorities in check, and refocuses my efforts on those priority items that will tip the scales back to a favorable low effort, high reward state, thus moving me out of the funk. It sounds easy, but in practice is a tough mental game to play in today's business world with longer hours, tight deadlines, and limited staffing.

I enjoy reading the postings of Management Consultant and Instructor Lisa Haneberg. She recently posted a useful tool to help visualize the very exercise that I have been using for the funk. She calls it The Clump Grid.

Lisa instructs that to use The Clump Grid, and gain the most benefit, you must:

1. Include as many activities as possible. Take the time to be thorough.
2. Define "reward" wisely. This is the key, isn't it? We will each define rewards differently, but we need to be clear so we can put activities in the right boxes. And what you find rewarding might change over time. How you define rewards ought to align with your goals and how you define success.

So the next time the funk finds you, take a look inside, and give The Clump Grid a test. I bet you will find that a simple (not so much) shift in your daily effort:reward practice will make all the difference in the world.