Does this sound like you? You have less energy, things are harder to focus on, you don’t want to do things you used to do, you’re gaining or losing weight, sleep might be an hard or maybe you can’t seem to maintain your sense of drive that you had before. What exactly is going on? If those things are happening to you then you may be stuck in a rut. Don’t feel bad, it happens to the best of us. No matter how motivated and driven you are anyone can get stuck from time to time. The key is to not let it get you down. You’ve CAN get out of whatever funk you’re in. Let’s look at some steps to do that.
Take a Break
No matter what routine you feel stuck in it’s important to take some time away from it. The routine could be working out, trying to gaining muscle or lose weight, playing a musical instrument, taking care the kids, or furthering your career. Sometimes simply taking some time off from what your doing can add a little perspective on your situation. Time off can give you the self-confidence and motivation you need to come back and succeed in your endeavors.
Is there something you used to do but don’t participate in anymore? Maybe you haven’t been to the movies in a while, or maybe you need to take a short vacation. How does the weekend at the beach or the mountains sound? The key is to break the vicious cycle and get down a new path to achieving your goals. Getting stuck in a rut is just that, stuck! It’s the same as if you got your car stuck in the mud, you would back up, turn around, and pick a new path while still striving for the same goals.
Make New Goals
As we strive for success in our lives sometimes our end goals become too huge to even consider obtaining. The thought of trying to accomplish such a big task can be so overwhelming that it simply stops us in our tracks. If you can’t get started on a task or project because the goal is too big then you need new goals. It’s as simple as that.
Honestly, the bigger the task the smaller the goals need to be. To give you an example; in these tough economic times one of the biggest and most challenging things you can do is find a great job. Finding a dream job requires so many small critical things that you must do it can seem completely overwhelming. Sure it’s easy to picture yourself in the big office with the great view with the big salary, but how do you get there? What steps must you take to achieve that big dream?
Start by making a list of all the small things you need to do get that job. Make a resume, connect with all of your contacts, search for companies who are hiring, reply to job listings, send in your resume, and land an interview are some of the steps. Each one of these steps to achieve your goal can be broken down further and taken apart piece by piece. By doing that you can make a list of all the important things you need to take care of and then start knocking them off one by one.
Find a Coach
Have you ever considered hiring a coach to help you get out of your rut? Sometimes to arrive at your destination you need a little extra help. It doesn’t matter if your business owner, a mom looking for new ideas and help, a student looking to succeed in school, or somebody looking to find a new path to their big dream, anyone can benefit from a coach.
Life coaching is mentoring from a trained professional to help you achieve personal goals. Your life coach will carefully listen to who you are and where you want to succeed, and then form a plan to help you get you to where you want to be. It’s more than just having a good listener, it’s someone who knows how to help you find success. A life coach is someone who is already an expert in where you want to be, in your field. Sure getting out of your rut could be the first goal, but then what? How far do you want to go and where do you want to end up. Finding a life coach who specializes in an area that you want to succeed will help you dream huge! Someone to hold your feet the fire and make sure you… Get. Work. Done.
So the next time you feel like you’re stuck in a rut, aren’t moving forward, and need a little extra help try a life coach. They may even help you get to the place you might have never even dreamed of yourself.
Robert Cordray is an independent business writer for numerous companies. WIth over 20+ years of experience he has dedicated some of his retirement to life coaching help, and how it is a growing business.