As the year progresses and autumn turns into winter, at least here in Australia, it’s easy to lose sight of your goals.
The New Year’s resolutions to eat less and go to the gym more may seem like a distant memory.
The plan you had to boost your career by networking more may also have been shelved in favour of “more important” things, such as ticking off your to-do list.
Or maybe you do have the time to pursue your goals, but you don’t feel like it.
Instead of going to the gym, you find yourself parked in front of the TV every night watching too much trash.
If this sounds like you then you’re in one big old rut.
That’s no big deal. We've all been in one at one point or another, but the trick is to make sure you don’t stay in it.
Here’s how to climb out:
1. Do something different
Ruts happen because we get used to our routine.
We get stuck in it, in fact, and begin to forget what new and exciting feels like. It’s time to shake things up a little.
You don’t need to go skydiving or bungee jumping, though, to make a difference to how you feel.
You just need to change your routine. Even slightly. It could be as simple as adding in a morning walk before work.
Or varying the kind of exercise you do at the gym.
2. Flee the country
Not permanently, of course.
And in today's CoVid normal world, the best you'll be able to do is fly interstate or to New Zealand with the travel bubble.
But there’s something about getting on a plane and leaving your routine behind that makes us able to see things with fresh eyes.
A bit of time away from your day-to-day life will help you to see where you’ve been lagging in energy and what needs to change.
Time away from not just work, but our daily routines, is vital in getting out of a rut.
3. Write down your thoughts
You may not consider yourself the writer type, but putting pen to paper can be really helpful.
If you’re pretty good at expressing yourself, you could outline what is frustrating you and what you need to do to change it.
Or, make a list. In one column write down what is great about your life and in another write down what you need to change.
Trust me you’ll know.
4. Spend more time with family
A lot of studies suggest that the number-one thing people can do to feel more engaged in life is to spend time with friends and family.
It’s a massive endorphin boost to be surrounded by people you care about.
Plus, it’s free.
5. Ask for help
If you’re really not sure what you need to do to pull yourself up and out of the rut, then ask a trusted friend or mentor.
Sometimes other people have a better handle on what we should do with our lives than us!
We often fail to see the forest for the trees and need a trusted friend or family member to set us back on the straight and narrow.
All of us, at one point, have been in this situation.
As yourself whether you need to seek advice from someone you respect.
But be ready to hear what they have to say as you may not initially like their advice, especially if it touches a nerve.
6. Change your attitude
Sometimes it’s actually us, and not the outside world, that needs to change.
We blame other people, our work, or the demands on our time, but often we’re the ones sabotaging our own lives.
Australians are the luckiest people in the world, but some people feel they’re owed a living.
They’re not.
If you’re feeling a little bit bored or frustrated, and there is nothing wrong in your life, maybe you’re getting too complacent?
Maybe you need to step back and look at just how lucky you are and realise that you’re in a rut entirely of your own making.
Count your blessings because chances are you have a lot to be grateful for.
