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Do your days seem to blur together? Do you often feel unmotivated and unexcited? Are you afraid that life might pass you by? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you’re probably stuck in a rut!
Don’t freak out! We’ve all been there before! Being in a rut might mean that you are constantly doing something, again and again, that isn’t bettering you. It could also mean that you are continually avoiding something that you know you should be doing. Whichever it may be, I encourage you to implement these three tips to pull yourself out of a rut.
ADD EXCITEMENT TO WHAT’S ALREADY WORKING
Each night after dinner, my husband, our two pets and I race to the bedroom, crawl into bed, and watch a TV show. Our cat and dog love this because we give them a treat and cuddle with them. My husband, Phil, enjoys this because he likes to decompress from the day by watching TV. I, on the other hand, am not a fan of sitting down and watching a show, but I continually participate each night because it’s something that our whole family enjoys doing.
Once I realized that this time of my day was not serving me, instead of ditching it altogether, I simply added something into my routine that excited me. Now, I utilize my coffee time with Phil in the morning to read a book together or discuss an in-depth topic. This pumps me up each morning and makes me feel better about the time I spend decompressing with my family at night.
DESIGN YOUR PERFECT DAY
What does your perfect day look like? Want to wake up by 6 AM to workout? Want to spend an hour of your day reading? Want to have dinner and dishes done by 8 PM? Whatever it may look like to you, I encourage you to plan it out and write it down. Then, spend a few minutes writing out what you do on a typical day in your life. Now, COMPARE! Is there any overlap? Do they look similar at all? This will give you a better understanding of how you are spending your time and what tasks you could tweak to achieve your perfect day.
Yes, some routine tasks can’t be omitted, such as doing laundry, packing lunches, driving to work, or taking the dog for a walk. Instead of allowing them to ruin the rest of your day, I suggest listening to a podcast or uplifting music that will motivate and encourage you.
ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR SPARKLE
An outdoorsy friend of my mine was commuting to a downtown office building in a large city every morning for work. Each time we spoke, she explained how she was constantly feeling uninspired and bored. I asked her, “What can you do differently?” She began looking for job opportunities that fueled her desire to be outside and away from the busy city. She eventually landed a job at an outdoor adventure school! Ever since her job switch, she has been excited to go to work and genuinely loves what she is doing.
Being outdoors makes her sparkle! She is her happiest and most inspired when she is outside teaching others about nature. Do you know what makes you sparkle? What do you daydream about doing when you are feeling bored and unfulfilled? Once you acknowledge your sparkle, make a change.
What do you need to change or shift to have more joy, more energy, and to simply feel better as you live life? I encourage you to ask yourself this question daily to either keep you from falling into a rut or to pull yourself out of the rut that you’re already in. For more tips and encouragement, tune into Episode 35 of the Fit Is Freedom podcast.