The Slough of Despond

I think I must be in the ‘depression, listless’ stage of grieving.
I work for a small business where I run the general administration of the office and do the books. The in-tray is collapsing under the weight. Petty cash and accounts records are behind. The office is being run on the ‘management by crisis’ system.
Every year in January I do the Great Spring Clean and Makeover of the house and garden. It is March, and they are both sadly neglected.
I won’t bore you about my art, or the two books I’ve been working on. Things are just not happening here.
In the classic story of Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan the pilgrim and his friend land in the Slough of Despond. They are quite stuck in it for sometime.

In the dictionary a slough is a muddy swamp or ‘a situation characterised by lack of progress or activity‘.

Despondency is described as ‘become dejected and lose confidence’. That’s where I’ve been these last few weeks, in the Slough of Despond.

Each morning I get up with great enthusiasm to begin the tasks and tackle the backlog and then I think of the children far away and the next thing I know its five o’ clock in the evening and I realise nothing has actually been done. I’ve read a little, chatted to someone on the phone, skyped my son, and drunk copious quantities of tea. And so the days pass.
In the story, John Bunyan is telling us that the pilgrim, Christian, fell into the slough because he had taken his eyes off his goal, which was the wicker gate where he was heading.
I don’t think I’ve taken my eyes off my goal, which is to be with Christ in heaven one day. But I have some earthly goals that I need to re-instate - I just feel that it is all too much without all my dear children near me.
On consideration, I have a grand life. I love my job, which isn’t too taxing. I love my house and garden. I love my church and the people in it, and my art, and I’m excited about the books I’m working on. I need to get enthusiastic again. But how?