Bryan Dijkhuizen

Do this when your mind is stuck

My mind is stuck.

The summer is usually a time when you get happy and do the greatest things. But afterward, it’s usually a difficult time.

I’ve already written a newsletter about the ​”past-summer-dip”​, so I’m not doing that again. This newsletter is about being out of inspiration, and motivation, and not knowing where you stand in life.

This is the Rewire Yourself Newsletter for 22 September 2023.

Right before the summer started I was all motivated.

Having free time made me think that I would actually use it to do something productive and fruitfully – but I didn’t.

Now I have to be honest with myself and I can only blame myself. No excuses.

The only way is forward now.

You have to make sure you don’t get downcast from this kind of setback. It’s not bad, you just have to get through it.

Motivation and perseverance are flexible, just like your brain.

How to counter this feeling?

The trick is especially not to make any rash decisions.

Don’t go too fast.

Don’t rush into a situation that will ultimately demotivate you.

Start small.

For example, what I’ve been doing is slowly picking up some productive things again.

I started writing some small pieces, creating some other content that wasn’t necessarily meant to be published yet.

However, I’m not yet at the point where I was before the summer.

But that will come again.

Because the moment you suddenly start doing a lot again, let’s say you go back to your level before your breakdown, you’ll collapse in no time.

You have to build up again slowly. Break down tasks and all other cliche things that productivity articles tell you.


My Favorite Productivity Newsletters

​Potencia Mind​

People interested in personal growth, self-help, mental health, the brain, productivity & high performance.

​ProductivityGlide​

Business and startup professionals looking to increase their productivity with daily short productivity tips and strategies.

​Peak Performance​

Bite-sized investing ideas, wisdom, news, and trends you need to grow your dough!


Finding purpose

I often ask this question.

“Have you found your purpose?”

Most people have never thought about this question before and therefore have no answer.

It’s very important to have one.

But, what is the purpose?

That’s some philosophical question, to be honest. To make it even more difficult and vague, here’s a quote from Robert Byrne.

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.”

You’d want something that has meaning to you.

Something that you can fill your life with, and that fulfills your daily needs — purpose is different for everybody.

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to finding purpose.

But there’s a link between finding your purpose and setting goals. You’ll have to think about that.

I bet you have some things in life you want to achieve. Those things could be long-term targets such as buying a house or traveling the world for a year or so.

You won’t be able to achieve these goals immediately. You’ll need to set in-between goals.

To find your purpose you’d have to try different kinds of things to make sure you’re doing what you want and you’re going in the right direction.

Because when you don’t know where you’re going, you will not end up in the place you want to be.

Setting clear goals for yourself

Without any clear goals, you will fail.

You might feel aimless, unsure of what you’re working towards or why you’re doing what you’re doing. This lack of direction can lead to a lack of motivation, as you struggle to find meaning in your daily tasks.

Without a clear sense of what you want to achieve, it’s difficult to push yourself to work harder, take risks, and pursue your passions.

Pursuing your passions requires taking risks and working hard to achieve your goals.

But, without clear goals to strive for, it’s challenging to motivate yourself to take those risks and push through challenges.

When you have clear goals, you can measure your progress, celebrate your successes, and identify areas for improvement, which can help you stay motivated and engaged.

The lack of direction can lead to a lack of motivation, which can result in failure to achieve your potential.

Therefore, it’s crucial to take the time to set clear goals and define a sense of purpose in your life to ensure that you stay motivated and focused on achieving your desired outcomes.

By taking the time to self-reflect, set clear and achievable goals, and overcome obstacles, you can create a sense of direction and purpose in your life.


Sponsored Part Start

Revolutionize the way you read newsletters

​Meco​ is a distraction-free space for reading newsletters outside the inbox. The app is completely free and packed with features designed to supercharge your learnings from your favorite writers. Become a more productive reader and cut out the noise with ​Meco – try the app today!​

Sponsored Part End


So if, like me, you lost motivation a bit last summer, do this.

  1. Avoid making hasty decisions; start small and gradually reintroduce productive activities.
  2. Understand that regaining momentum takes time; be patient with your progress.
  3. Reflect on your life’s purpose, recognizing it’s a personal and evolving journey.
  4. Set clear, achievable goals to provide direction and measure progress.
  5. Maintain motivation by celebrating successes and learning from areas that need improvement.

That’s it for today. Hope you’re having a great day before the weekend!

– Bryan

Subscribe to get your free meditation guide and join 5,000 other smart people.

Sign up to Rewire Yourself for free and receive a weekly newsletter about the most interesting topics to make yourself a better human.