The first rule of mental slumps: Don’t let yourself wallow in negative thoughts. Not only is that unproductive, but it’ll only make you feel worse.
The second rule of mental slumps: Don’t ignore whatever’s bothering you. After all, repressing your emotions doesn’t work -- they usually come back in full force down the road.
Looking at those two rules, you might be wondering which reactions are left to you. Good news, there’s a simple, easy, way to break out of slumps.
Ready? Open a new tab and watch one or two of these motivational videos. Not only do they pack a powerful punch, but they’re each five minutes or less. That means you can rediscover your motivation in the time it would take to write an email.
1) When You Need a Reminder to Keep At It
Once you’ve achieved a long-term goal, it’s tempting to rest on your laurels. But as reps know all too well, the clock resets constantly -- and if you get complacent, your quota will suffer.
In this talk, author, entrepreneur, and “success” expert Richard St. John reveals how treating success like a one-way street led to the failure of his business. You’ll instantly be motivated to get out and hit the pavement.
2) When You’re Facing a Huge Obstacle
Recovering from a setback is never easy. However, watching this speech by Stacey Kramer, the founder of global brand strategy firm BrandPlay, will probably change your entire attitude. Kramer shares her experience being diagnosed and treated for hemangioblastoma. The layman’s term for that condition? A brain tumor.
I don’t want to give anything away, so you’ll have to watch the video to find out what Kramer says. Just know that it’s both humbling and inspiring.
3) When You’ve Utterly Failed
One of my favorite quotes is, “Never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle.” In other words, if you’ve only been a salesperson for two years, don’t compare your numbers with the rep who’s been selling for 10.
This video shows demonstrates that even ultra-successful people suffer setbacks when they first start out. At a little over one minute, it’s one of the the shortest on this list -- but it’s also one of the most powerful.
4) When You Want to Reignite Your Passion
In sales, passion is what sets you apart from your competitors. Other reps might be smooth talkers, but if you’re the only one who truly cares about your product and prospects, you’ll win the deal every time.
Need to rediscover that sense of purpose? Watching this video will do the trick. It features a series of clips from well-known leaders, entrepreneurs, athletes, and more discussing passion: Why it’s important, what it feels like, and where to find it.
5) When You Need Some Tough Love
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows.”
If you’re a Rocky fan, those lines will sound familiar. However, loving the series isn’t a prerequisite for watching this 50-second clip. As Rocky, Sylvester Stallone deliver some nuggets of wisdom about success to his son. The takeaway -- that your fate is determined by hard work, not talent or luck -- will have you vigorously nodding along.
6) When You’re Not Feeling Confident
Most days, you probably feel pretty good about yourself, your abilities, and your results. Yet no one’s immune from the occasional dip in confidence. The only problem? Not feeling confident tends to have a bigger impact on your work than in other roles.
Fortunately, this three-minute video from Britain’s Got Talent will help bring your confidence levels back up to normal. Paul Potts is a salesman who’s suffered from insecurity his whole life -- watch the clip to learn how he overcomes it.
7) When You’re Doubting Your Goals
Sharing your ambitions with others is risky. After all, as Will Smith explains in this pivotal scene from The Pursuit of Happyness, when “people can't do something themselves, they want to tell you [that] you can't do it.”
Does that mean you should listen to them? Not a chance. By the end of this speech, Smith will have you all charged up and ready to tackle your goals.
8) When You’ve Been Playing It Safe
You’re finding excuses to let major potential customers slip away. You’re calling when you know people won’t answer. You’re only asking the safe questions -- and you’re not telling prospects what they need to hear. It’s harsh but true: Cowardly salespeople are ineffective.
Fortunately, it’s never too late to become braver. And there’s no one better to set you on the path toward courage than Robin Williams. His “Carpe diem” lecture in Dead Poets Society is up there with the most memorable speeches of all time.
Good things come in small packages. Thanks to these short videos, your mental slump will be gone in five minutes flat.
