Slumps, and the Grace to Begin Again
“A mistake is just that — a moment. A lesson, not a label.”
A reflection on shame, grace, and spiritual resilience
When motivation dips and shame creeps in, what do you do next? This is about recognizing the slump, meeting it with grace, and gently rising again.
Slumps don’t always start with laziness.
Sometimes, they begin with disappointment.
Personally, I get excited on an idea, or project, or goal, I go all in, and then; the moment something doesn’t go the way I hoped, I retreat.
Motivation dips. Shame rises. I’ve seen this pattern over and over:
I always start so strong… Then I,
Miss one day.
Then two.
Then a week.
Then a month.
And suddenly, I’m telling myself:
“I must not be good at this.”
“I guess I’m just a quitter.”
“I knew I couldn’t keep it up.”
Shame is sneaky like that. It turns a single stumble into a whole identity.
Just because I failed does not mean I am a failure,
I’m learning: I need to give myself more grace.
Not the fluffy kind that makes excuses. The grounded kind.
The kind that understands life has rhythms, and not every day will be a bloom.
Seasons of the Soul
Like a garden, our lives have seasons:
Spring: full of energy and new beginnings.
Summer: vibrant, steady, alive.
Autumn: reflective, slowing down.
Winter: quiet, bare, but not dead. Roots grow deep in winter. Strength is stored in silence.
So yes, rest matters. However, there’s a difference between rest and making excuses.
Discipline Without Shame
For the longest time I have struggled with the balance of having discipline without blurring the line between holding myself accountable and beating myself up for any mistake.
I’ve confused discipline with punishment.
That voice in my head that says:
“You’re lazy.”
“You always do this.”
“See? You’re not cut out for it.”
That’s not discipline; that’s shame.
If there is anything I know about shame is that nothing positive grows from it.
If I had a coach who talked to me like that, I would not put up with that.
So why would I coach myself that way?
Correction doesn’t have to be cruel.
Love doesn’t mean letting myself off the hook, but it also doesn’t mean tearing myself apart.
You Are Not Your Mistakes
I see this in other people, too.
They mess up once and spiral:
“I’m stupid.”
“I’m bad.”
“I’ll never get it.”
We collapse our identity into a single moment.
“I failed” becomes “I am a failure.”
But no. No, dearest — no.
A mistake is just that: a moment.
A lesson, not a label.
The real test isn’t whether we mess up, it’s how we respond.
Can we say:
“Yeah, I missed that goal.”
“I let myself down.”
“I don’t like how this feels… so I’m going to choose differently next time.”
That’s where growth lives.
Not in perfection, but in the ability to rise again.
Return to Your Why
When I’m in a slump, healing starts by returning to my why.
Not the surface-level why
Not “I want to look good” or “prove them wrong.”
Those motives dry up quick.
I have to get to the real why.
Why am I trying to grow?
Why do I want to respond to stress with grace?
Why am I learning to care for my body?
Because I want to bring peace into my home.
Because I want to show up for my future family with strength and love.
Because I believe God has called me to more, and I don’t want to miss it because I’m too tired, too anxious, or too ashamed to walk in it.
Because I want to love myself enough to try again.
To coach myself kindly.
To tell the truth; with love.
Speak to Yourself Like Someone You Love
Sometimes I have to pretend I’m talking to someone else.
A friend. A sister.
If they fell off track, would I shame them?
Of course not.
I’d say:
“Hey, you’re not a failure. You’re just human. This one moment isn’t the whole story. You can still choose differently today.”
So that’s what I’m telling myself now.
That’s how I’m coaching myself.
Not with excuses, but with grace.
Grace that calls me higher.
Grace that says: Get up. Try again. Remember who you are.
Beginning Again
So here I am, sitting in the car, parked outside the gym.
It’s been a while.
Motivation was low. Fear was loud.
I almost didn’t come.
I had to ask myself:
Why are you resisting? What are you afraid of?
Honestly, sometimes I’d rather quit than risk failing.
It’s a form of control, if I give up on my own terms, no one else can say I failed.
That’s not freedom. That’s fear, wearing a disguise.
So I reminded myself:
Movement makes me feel strong.
It clears my mind.
It lifts my mood.
It helps me steward this body God gave me.
It’s worship, in its own way.
So I’m going in.
Not to prove anything. Not to punish myself.
But to care for the person I’m becoming.
If You're in a Slump...
You’re not broken.
You’re not lazy.
You’re just in a season.
And the beautiful thing about seasons?
They always change.
So give yourself grace.
Then get back up.
You’ve got this!
✍🏽 Journal Prompt:
What’s keeping you stuck right now?
Is it fear? Shame? Exhaustion? What would change in your life if you could name that roadblock and work to move past it?
Be honest , not to judge yourself, but to understand what you need to move forward.
