Every now and again you find yourself in a rut. The routine gets to you. Your joy is zapped and you may wonder how you ended up in this rut. You don’t expect someone like you to continue to be in a rut. You’re kind upset about it all and you just really want things to be different.
Let me share 5 quick steps you can use to get yourself out of that rut.
1. Recognize a Rut for What It Is
You can’t fix something if you will not acknowledge or recognize it. Pay attention to you levels of productivity and joy. When you notice you are not where you want to be, don’t waste time defending it, denying it, or avoiding it. Call it what it is. Simply say “I’m in a rut and I don’t want to be here.” The more you push away the truth, the longer it takes to move forward. The energy you waste running from it can be put to better use dealing with whatever the situation is. Recognize and acknowledge the rut for exactly what it is without judgment.
2. Turn Off Your Brain
How long does it take to get up out of bed when you lay there thinking about getting up out of bed. It is actually easier to jump up and start you day if you stop thinking about it, arguing with yourself, or verbally beating your self up for not already being up. Shoulda, coulda, woulda never helped anyone in this moment. The worse you make yourself feel, the more you rationalize extra sleep the more likely you are to fight yourself and sabotage any efforts you make toward getting up out of bed. Getting out of a rut works the same way. Stop thinking. Shut your brain off. Just turn off the thoughts in your brain.
3. Move Your Butt
Now that your brain is on pause and you’ve shut down the negative self talk, get up and move your butt. You know what to do. You know what the first step is. Focus on the very first thing and just start moving. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. An object at rest tends to stay at rest. Don’t allow yourself to shift back into overwhelm worrying about all the steps needed to get you where you want to go. Look at the rung of the ladder that is right in front of you and step up. If you focus on the miles ahead, you are thinking. Stop thinking and move your butt.
4. Let Your Good Habits Kick In
The funny thing about taking action is that you get to go back into automatic mode. Instead this time you are letting your good habits kick in instead of the less that helpful ones. Trust yourself to do what needs to be done. Relax and let the routine of doing small tasks wash over you. It doesn’t take long for the momentum to begin to build. Your habits are stronger than your sabotage. Let them do the heavy lifting while you just keep taking the next step forward.
5. Don’t Stop Now
Look at that! You’ve moved out of the rut and you are getting down the road already. Fabulous! Keep moving. Sure, you can acknowledge your progress right here. You can notice that your productivity is back and your joy has increased. Just don’t stop now. Stopping to celebrate at this point is a trap. It’s the worst kind of distraction. The only celebration you’re allowed at this point is to recognize and acknowledge how things are shifting for you but it is extremely important to keep moving. So don’t stop now.
Bonus: Once You Are Back On Track, Don’t Forget To Look Back
There will come a point where it makes sense to take a break. Perhaps the rut is a thing of the past and you’ve accomplished what you started out to do. Congratulations! This is the point where you can objectively look back and reflect on how you ended up in the rut and what you could be doing differently to stop being in ruts as often. Once you are safely back on track, do some positive self reflection and look back. What can you do to shorten the ruts you find yourself in or make them less severe? Don’t miss the opportunity to gain some valuable lessons about yourself and your response to the circumstances.
So how did this work for you? Leave a comment to share with us. Which one of these steps gives you the most trouble? Where do you struggle the most when you are trying to get out of a rut? What other strategies do you use to move yourself out of a rut?
