Stuck in a rut?

5 things can help you get out

Depending on how you define being “stuck in a rut”, you may be in one right now. My definition of being in a rut includes the inability to change my routine for the betterment of myself. Some people define being stuck in a rut as just simply “going through the motions”. Other people might say that they are in a zombified state, or lacking energy.

Whatever the case may be, it’s important to look at ways that we can improve our routines so that we can escape these feelings of monotony. There’s nothing more life-sucking than continually coming home and hitting the couch all night, just to wake up and do it all again the next day. If this is your life, you either don’t understand what it’s like to be purpose-driven, or your binge-watching a Netflix show you just discovered. Either way, your routine has a significant impact on whether or not you’re able to get out of a rut and stay out of one.

I’ve come up with 5 good ways that help me whenever I feel like my routine has become a slow-motion blur that lacks creativity and motivation. Hopefully these things are applicable to your situation as well.

Statistics show that waking up early has been linked to better grades, being proactive, and anticipating problems and minimizing them. With more time in the morning, comes the ability to prepare for your day better and also gives you more time to organize tasks. This will help immensely because you’ll be able to comfortably get your day started, instead of waking up late and having to run around the house for fear of being late to an appointment or engagement that you’ve committed to.

Awaking early can help you get out of that lazy routine of hitting snooze 14 times and eventually rolling out of bed and out the door with little chance to shower and eat some breakfast. Once out the door, you’ve denied yourself a real chance to get your day started because you’re on an empty stomach and you didn’t give yourself adequate time to wake yourself up prior to leaving the house.

Planning helps you organize and will give you a sense of accomplishment at the end of your day. You’ll fall asleep on a positive note, too. You know those days off where you feel like you have to get an abundance of things accomplished before the sun goes down? On those days, planning the day will be most effective.

The feeling of having a ton of things on your plate is paralyzing. It prevents you from accomplishing half of what you truly wanted to get done. When you start the day by writing things down, you will be able to subsequently cross things off your list as you get them done. Nothing is more satisfying and motivating. Psychologically, when you see things on your list getting axed, you’ll feel calmer and more in control of the day. You’ll also be less overwhelmed because things are being crossed off the list!

Everyone has hobbies and everyone has passions. When we pursue these things, we undoubtedly feel better. I’m not going to tell you to commit an hour to playing music every day or to commit 30 minutes to writing or even to run 2 miles per day. I don’t believe putting a specific timeline or length on something you love doing is going to benefit you. I think if we say, “okay, I’m going to play my guitar for an hour”, then it can become a burden. We start checking the clock. It becomes something we’re obliged to instead of something joyful.

I will say that setting aside daily, weekly, even monthly time to continue working on a project or piece of art can definitely assist you in deviating away from that same rut that you’re accustomed to. Focusing on your passion can take your mind away from the daily routine and bring you back to some positivity and keep your mind goal-oriented. This helps you stay focused and motivated — two things you’ll need to get out of that rut.

Speaking of remaining goal-oriented — I think it’s always good practice to keep your goals in mind. It’s even better practice to write your goals down, though. That way you’ll always have the constant reminder of what you’re working toward on a piece of paper. Put this in a place (like the bathroom mirror or your sock drawer) where you’ll need to look every day. You need to be reminded of your goals.

Whether or not you think it was dumb when you wrote it, it’ll help you realize how far separated you’ve become from the motivated person that wrote the note in the first place. It’ll also remind you to become centered on what you want, every day. Practice putting these goals in your mind every day and you’ll be fighting half the battle. The other half will be committing some sort of action step toward your goal, one day at a time.

Being in a rut can cause you to focus on things that keep you in a negative mood. It can cause you to start comparing your life to someone else, and eventually can lead to envy. That’s why it’s important to focus on the things that truly matter to you. Taking our focus elsewhere puts us in danger of developing unrealistic expectations and we start wishing for things we don’t have.

It’s really a good practice to do this every day. Whether it’s when you wake up or go to sleep, counting your blessings and focusing on your heart will break the bonds of this negative feeling you’ve been toting around. So, if family is important to you, think about them. Remember how lucky you are to have such a great support in your life. Think about your friend group that helps you out of a jam, no matter what.

Whatever it is, refocusing on that might give you the motivating lift you need to realize that everything is going to be okay and that you won’t be stuck in a rut any longer.

So, next time you feel that you’re in a rut, try some stuff to get out. Whether it’s one of my techniques, or some of your own, getting out of that rut could be what you need right now before you’re able to start a new project. One important thing to remember, if you are in a rut, don’t get discouraged. We’ve all been there and I continue to bounce back and forth every now and then. But, with some techniques and awesome people in our lives, we’ll get out in no time and keep on trucking.

After all, we’re in this together.

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