So Your Stuck In A Rut, Now What?

Written on October 25, 2007 by Tezza

Thursday’s weekly guide to Personal Growth from 4EvaYoung.com

We all get sucked into a black hole from time to time where our life just seems to have lost it’s luster. The bounce in your step is now just a fading memory and your starting to dread the days. It’s like someone came and pressed the pause button on your life and your just waiting for them to return to press play again. If your life seems to be stuck in a bit of a rut then hope is not lost. Here are some handy tips to help you get back on your feet.

1. Be More Of Yourself
“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.” -Hardy D. Jackson

One of the common reasons we get caught in a rut is when we stop listening to what is important to us and begin to listen to what others want from us, expect from us or think about us. A simple cure is ignore everybody and take some time to find your authentic self again. It’s okay if some people start to think your nuts or you rub a few on the wrong side. You will find peace again once you find your voice and this may give you the kick start you need to get your life back on track. Getting excited about your life starts by getting back to who you are and what you truly stand for.

2. Try Something New And Exciting
“The greatest thing is, at any moment, to be willing to give up who we are in order to become all that we can be.” -Max De Pree

If routine has got you shackled into the mundane and repetitiveness of life then it’s time to get yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new. The great thing about newness is that is has this energy about it that is akin to the anticipation you get on Christmas morning. Some people naturally enjoy living life on the edge. They actively seek out adventure and thrills. If this doesn’t sound like you then it might be time to seek out someone in your circle of friends who is adventurous and ask for advice on where to begin. Maybe you could try out the new hobby you’ve always been thinking about, or that sky dive that you’ve mentioned to your friends.

It is amazing how this short lived burst of excitement and uncertainty can be so powerfully intoxicating. It might prove to be a great way to awaken your spirit. At the very least, you’ll have something fun to talk about at the next dinner party with friends.

3. Stop Mindlessly Achieving And Start Enjoying
“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” – Harry S. Truman

Life is not a race where the person who achieves more gets a special prize at the end. We all end up in the same place without our material possessions. So all the time spent mindlessly achieving just so you might have a short period of enjoyment is such a losing trade in my mind.

Also consider that all your achieving and accomplishment of goals has led you to this current state of disenfranchisement and possible disillusionment. So what is all your achievement if it leads to this negative state of being. Wouldn’t you rather enjoy the journey and find the joy in it.

Instead of frantically going through each day like a roller coaster ride, why not pause and really soak in the day. Appreciate the little moments that can bring joy to your life, take a few extra moments to really smell the coffee and sip it like it’s the last cup you’ll be drinking for a while. Appreciate the scenery when your strolling to work. Instead of walking with headphones in your ears, take in the noise that is around you. The more you can find ways to enjoy ordinary events that make up your day the more you will see that you are living an extraordinary life.

4. Find The Passion In What You Do
“Every year I live I am more convinced that the waste of life lies in the love we have not given, the powers we have not used, the selfish prudence that will risk nothing, and which shirking pain, misses happiness as well. No one ever yet was the poorer in the long run for having once in a lifetime “let out all the length of all the reins.” -Mary Cholomondeley

We have all experienced the wonders when we are absorbed so completely in something we are passionate about that we totally lose track of time. If you aren’t finding what you are doing is giving you that sense of utter abandonment and joy then it’s time to realize that life is too short to be wasting it away living a life that is only a glimpse of your true potential. You need to take some thought as to what gives you passion and joy and be willing to take a chance to go after it.

5. Connect With Nature
“Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walks in the woods and listens carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God.” – George Washington Carver

Nature has a way of soothing your soul and relieving the stress in your life. If your life is caught in a rut, the serenity of nature may be the tonic that will re-energize and awaken you. If taking a daily bush walk is a stretch for you then consider taking your lunch to the local park or take your kids to the outdoor playground. The outdoors is not only a great way to breathe in fresh air which is great for your body but the change in scenery from your urban jungle may also give you a break from your nauseating speed that your life has taken you.

6. Find New Friends
“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” – Anonymous

Nothing is more important to a balanced life than having good friends. Friends can be the savior in your down times and your cheer squad in your good times. If your friends are keeping you in a rut then it’s time to consider expanding your circle of friends. You want to have people in your life that inspire and believe in you. To encourage you to reach for new heights and if you have become so familiar with your current friends that it has become predictable when you get together than there is no shame is stepping out.

Maybe you need to find people who don’t necessarily have the same interests as you so you can broaden your thinking, find people who aren’t in the same industry in which you work or people who you might not usually associate with. What they can do is bring a whole new flavor in your life and a provide a fresh world perspective.

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