Get Out of That Rut in 5 Steps

Everyone knows exactly how it feels to be stuck in a rut. You are doing the same things over and over and over, and you are not happy. Maybe the job is wearing you down or are just plain old bored. Sometimes, you know exactly what you need to get you out, a new job, a promotion or increased responsibility at work, but hitting that goal or making it a reality seems so far stretched that you don't even feel like trying. It wouldn't be worth it. So you stay in the same situation you are in, day after day, praying that something will change.

It never will.

Being stuck like that is never fun. Not only are you bored from your situation, this type of thing makes you prone to negative thinking and depression. Those two things will just keep you in that place forever. If you want things to change, YOU have to change.

Think about it.

You are not making any progress toward your goals and feel stuck. You are complaining that there is nothing you can do to make your life better. In fact there is! There is a lot! Just have to do SOMETHING.

The key to making a big change is to make little changes. Here are some steps you can do to help:

1. Think Big

You need a little motivation to change. Think about the new circumstances you want in your life. Envision the new job or that corner office you always dreamed. There is your motivation, but don't just stop there. Now you have to make a plan. What action steps can you take that will move you closer to your goal? These don't have to be big steps, just one step a time.

eency-weency ones.

Those little steps all combined will get you where you want to go.

2. Be Responsible

You have to hold yourself 100% accountable for everything that you do. Despite what you may think, the business that you work for, your spouse, or even your extended family do not have the power to make changes for you. You are in control of your life and absolutely must be responsible for making changes. Yeah yeah yeah, all of your bellyaching made you realize and showed you that you were dissatisfied with something, but now that you are aware of what's wrong...stop complaining. That negativity will only burrow you further into the hole you are in.

3. Inventory

Take a part of your day and review all of your past successes. Many times when people get stuck in a rut, they wholeheartedly forget about all of the great things they have done in the past. They concentrate so hard on the present, which is not going all so well, and can't figure out how to surmount their problems. However, if they looked back, see the obstacles they conquered before, a confidence builds and that inner strength can push you through towards the future.

4. Expand Focus

It is easy to want something. Whether it's a new job, to lose weight, or that sweet sports car. Just have to put in the work, have to shift your thinking from "wanting" to "having." Why is that mindset so important? When you focus on something in terms of having, your subconscious mind will go to work immediately to come up with a number of ways to get the item or circumstance. Create your vision on paper, it will be reinforced in your mind.

5. Do Something

Don't try. DO. Stop saying I will try, you need to accept, decline, or counter that thought. The words "i will try" are not motivating and contain the seeds of defeat. The fact is that trying and thinking about doing something are a waste of time and energy. To get out of a rut, you must do something. For example, you can take a different route to work, take a walk at lunch, set aside 15 minutes to meditate. Doing SOMETHING, whether big or small will revitalize your life and make you more attuned to opportunities.

The decision is up to you.

So yea, there is hope for you, as there was for me. Everything I write in the blog I am doing myself. I have experienced all of this, and am wholeheartedly following my own advice. Why keep my personal successes and triumphs to myself? Sharing and helping others always puts me in a better mood.

No matter how long you have been in your current rut, take 100% responsibility for your life, learn from the lessons you uncover, and move forward with passion. For those of you who, like I, watched Luke Cage:

"Never Backward. Always Forward. Always."