4 Simple Steps to Get Out of a Rut

I read a quote the other day that slapped me across the face:

The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.

Ouch! 

Yes, I’ve been in a bit of a rut lately, ever since I got lazy over the summer. But now it’s almost November! It’s time to follow my own advice and dig myself out of this rut.

Hey, we ALL occasionally fall into a rut for different reasons. It’s part of being human, so don’t beat yourself up over it.

The good news is that it’s waaaay easier to get out of a rut than you’ve convinced yourself. One of the dumbest things we humans do is make mountains out of molehills, especially when it comes to our own “stuff.”

Here are the four simple steps you need to get out of your rut:

Step 1

Accept it. Face it. Stop ignoring it. 

Step 2

Take one tiny step. You know the saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Yet we humans get overwhelmed by stupidly concentrating on the “thousand miles” rather than “the first step.” Quit that. Take it one step at a time, and don’t even think about the bigger picture for now.

By the way, your first step can be the tiniest of baby steps! For example:

Write on your calendar an ‘Appointment with Yourself’ when you will start on the work you’ve been avoiding. This can be a five-minute window of time or whatever. Just schedule the Appointment. There, you’ve completed your first step! Congrats!

Step 3

Honour the ‘Appointment with Yourself,’ just as you would honour an ‘Appointment with your Dentist’ or an ‘Appointment with your #1 Referral Source’. You wouldn’t blow them off at the last minute, would you? So why should you treat yourself any differently? 

This is the most critical step, by the way. Learning to honour Appointments with Yourself is the key to Getting Stuff Done and digging out of your rut.

Step 4

Rinse and Repeat! Take another step. And another. And another. Before you know it, you’ll be on a roll, accomplishing great things and probably realizing that you did indeed make a mountain out of that tiny molehill.  

I’ve just followed the above four steps myself and quickly completed a task I’ve been putting off since August. The entire project took a mere three hours, but it feels fantastic to have it completed. Now, on to the next task!

There’s nothing like accomplishing things to keep you motivated and moving forward rather than floundering in what feels like a horrific rut. Just take it one step at a time.

• Coach Ted