Life is full of ups and downs. When we start something new, we are filled with excitement, whether it’s a new job or maybe a new home. We are filled with energy and it pushes us forward. We are more willing to do things we have never done before, join a “meet new friends gathering” or try for an Intertops Casino bonus on an online site. By doing these new and novel things we change and renew our lives.
But novel and exciting changes do not come along constantly. We are not always in a position of having to deal with new developments in our lives. We often just meander along with our usual habits and schedules and maybe begin to feel that we are just treading water. If this feeling persists it is likely to lead to us feeling like we are in a rut and going nowhere. Once you get into feeling that you are in a rut, it is often very difficult to dig yourself out and you just continue doing the same things and creating the same results.
However, you will be happy to learn that it is always possible to pull yourself out of a rut. It may take time and planning and not a little self – introspection. Below are some good ideas and strategies that will help anyone looking to revive and renew their lives. Get out of that rut and start living.
How deep is your rut?
First you need to figure out how deep your rut is. Are you going to have to make big changes or does your life just need a little tweaking? Some will have been in a rut for a long time and it may be harder to ascertain exactly what and where the problems are and to change course. But it can be done.
There will come a time when you become aware of feeling stuck or unable to move from your present situation. At this point you should stop and try to figure out how long you have been feeling this way. Is this new or has it been around for a while and you have only now become aware of it? How are you feeling now that you have become conscious of thinking this way?
Feeling in a rut is not a good feeling. However, different people experience different emotions about not feeling happy with their lives. Some get angry, others feel frustrated and many get depressed. Depression can be debilitating and can be a really difficult mental health issue to deal with and overcome. Its symptoms are often fatigue, lack of interest in anything going on including work, feelings of hopelessness and a throwing off of responsibilities.
These feelings can be dealt with. Sometimes it can be managed by changing some elements in your life. But sometimes depression needs to be dealt with first by seeking professional help. Once the depression is under control you will be able to go one and make some changes in your life.
Figure out the areas in your life that make you feel unhappy
Feeling in a rut can sometimes be resolved by simply tweaking a few simple things. On the other hand, feeling trapped can be that you need to change some fundamental issues that are not working for you. It could be that feeling in a rut only occurs during specific times or when we are doing particular things or when we are with certain people. Where do those feelings of stuck-ness come about – in our professional lives or in our personal lives?
Notwithstanding the fact that your feelings of being stuck may be due to one small factor or perhaps several things, it is still important to take a complete look at your present life circumstances and ascertain where it is that your needs are not being met.
One way of doing this is by using the Zig Ziglar’s Wheel of Life. It is a tool for setting goals and helps to find out those areas of life that you may wish to enhance in order to improve the overall quality of your life. This tool focusses on many areas such as the following:
- Health
- Social and personal goals
- Work and professional goals
- Family and friends
- Spirituality
- Financial goals
- Mind and intellectual goals
Look through the categories and see what relates to you and your circumstances. Which areas of your life do you feel could be improved and how could you do this? Perhaps you need to change your work situation. It will also be helpful to jot down those things and areas in which you do feel particularly happy and content.
Start with small steps and then work towards goals
It is not wise to make huge changes in your life too quickly as this may lead to stress and frustration. Work steadily each day towards your goals. Some changes in your life will be easier to achieve like making more time in your day for certain tasks or changing a bad habit. For those bigger goals you will need to be more patient, but resilient, set goals and time frames in order to achieve them.
Concluding thoughts
Remember not to be too self-critical. We all find ourselves in ruts from time to time at different stages of our lives. The most important thing is recognizing when you are in one and deciding on how to change the situation in order to get out of your rut. Making the right choices will help you to live the life that you want and desire. Following this above guide will help you in this endeavor.
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