Every entrepreneur I’ve ever coached has experienced the feeling and anxiety caused by being in a rut. Sometimes it is because they have not set any goals. Other times they have goals,, but are not reaching them.
They begin judging themselves. This causes them to lower their expectations and lower their self-worth. This prevents positive change.
Sometimes you get in a rut because you are afraid of making a decision or some change in your life.
When we are in a rut, it is common to wait for some external change to happen. Change always comes from within us. That’s important to remember.
As scary and painful as change can be, it is necessary to get unstuck. When you get unstuck, many things open up for you.
Consider using these seven strategies when you are stuck in a rut.
Get Unstuck by Letting Go of the Past
We all have stories we hear in our head. Listen to them. Is the problem that you are thinking about events that happened in the past? Do you have difficulty forgiving yourself for mistakes you have made? Do you blame yourself or others for things that didn’t turn out how you hoped? Figure out why you are stuck in these memories, and ask what you can do to live with them, learn to accept them, and ultimately move forward. You cannot change the past, but you surely can find peace. Letting go of the past lets you move forward.
Get Unstuck by Changing Your Perspective
After you are released from the grip of the past, you are going to clearly see a new reality and will feel freer to change your attitude. To get to a new perspective, try meditation or spending time alone. Listen to your inner voice. If you are able to travel, do so. Try taking a break from your usual routine to clear your head and put distance between you and your current situation. Find new people and ideas and be open to them. Exercise helps with this a great deal. By doing these things you gain a new perspective on the future. You begin to see the possibilities that lie ahead.
Get Unstuck by Starting With Small Changes
Change is a powerful thing. It stimulates different parts of the brain that improve your creativity and give you clarity. Start very small by simply changing your daily routines, move things around in your house, or finding new friends. Every choice you make is important and matters. Don’t skip the little things. They may not seem important, but they are. After some time, the small things build up and help you accomplish your goals and get you to feeling unstuck.
Get Unstuck by Exploring Your Purpose
Your job, responsibilities and goals are not your life purpose. Your life purpose is what makes you feel alive. It is all about the things that you are passionate about. Some examples:
- Helping people
- Teaching others to reach their full potential
- Your own personal growth as a human
- Caring for suffering animals
Your life purpose may need to change if it is not inspiring you any longer. However, the key here is that if you feel you have not had a purpose, now is the time to define it. Ask these questions to determine your life purpose:
- What makes me happy?
- What were my favorite things to do in the past?
- What are my favorite things to do now?
- When do I enjoy myself so much or become so committed to something that I lose track of time?
- Who inspires me the most, and why?
- What makes me feel good about myself?
- What am I good at?
Get Unstuck by Believing in Yourself
Nobody gets unstuck until they trust themselves. Remind yourself that you are able to reach your expectations and get out of your comfort zone. Take inventory of your strengths and positive character traits. Remind yourself that you are very capable. Too many of us sabotage ourselves and our progress.
Recognizing your own self-doubt is the first step to believing in yourself. Watch carefully how you react to situations. Take that information and reframe any self-doubt you have. Get rid of “I can’t” and “I don’t know” and replace them with “I can’t do that yet, but I am working on it,” or “I don’t know now, but I will.” Help build your own confidence by listing out past successes. That should be all the proof you need to show you can do the things that are currently challenging you.
Get Unstuck by Practicing Being Hopeful
Many of us go through disappointments in our life that led us to the moment where we feel helpless. Perhaps you are feeling pessimistic? You need to change that feeling! Find something that works for you, like meditation, prayer, reading books, and then do it on a regular basis. You have to work at being hopeful every single day.
Get Unstuck by Talking to a Professional
After making a strong effort, perhaps you find that you are unable to change your unhealthy thought patterns? This is when it is a good idea to consult a mental health provider to help you get unstuck. Sometimes there is an underlying mental health issue causing your rut. The support of a professional is invaluable. Together you can work on changing your thinking patterns. Sometimes just asking for hope is the exact thing you need.
BONUS: Get Unstuck With a Coach
For whatever reason, a mental health practitioner may not be someone you want to speak to. If you have a coach, talk to them. Let them know the struggles you are experiencing. Perhaps they can help or perhaps they can give you the information you need to decide that a mental health practitioner is exactly what you need.
We offer five weeks of free coaching to new clients. If you are interested in a free call to see if coaching with us is a good fit, head to our coaching page and get scheduled.
