By Karen Ruby
Here are 5 Tips To Get You Out Of Your Rut
1. Create a list of what you want to do accomplish in life.
Just the act of writing down your goals and things that you want to experience in life can help shake you up and motivate you to go after them. Knowing that our time on the planet is short means that you don’t have time to waste.
Create your list of 101 Things To Do Before You Die and start making plans to cross items off. Figure out what you can accomplish this week, this month, and this year and then make it happen. Write down things that really excite you. Use that excitement to force yourself out of your rut. Get excited about your life again.
2. Try a different food every day this week.
Shaking things up with your food is one of the easiest things you can do to get out of your rut. Get out of your routine and eat somewhere new. Why not shake things up? Who says that you have to have scrambled eggs for breakfast? We’re all adults, you can have chocolate cake for breakfast if you want. Check out a new ethnic grocery store and buy something different for dinner tonight.
Also, why not open a cookbook to a random page and try making that recipe, regardless of what it is. Most of us eat 3 meals a day. That’s 21 chances for you to shake up your life this week and eat something different. Expand your palate. You may surprise yourself by actually enjoying introducing some new foods in your life.
3. Take steps to increase your social network.
Make a point of meeting new people so that you are exposed to new ideas and have new experiences to get out of your rut. Do you hang around with the same people every day? Are they in the same social group as you? Look around at your peer group. If everyone is at the same level as you, how do you expect to grow?
Do you even have a social network? It can get pretty lonely if you don’t have any friends with which to just hang out with or vent with. Being with people who have common interests is one way to increase your social network.
You can also just try talking to new people every day. Be friendly to those you meet during your normal day. No one wants to be around a gloomy person. Put a smile on your face and talk to stranger. You might be pleasantly surprised at who you meet while waiting in line at the grocery store or the bus stop or who you you’re standing beside while admiring a picture at your local art gallery.
Go out to new places and meet some new people. Of course this will take time, but it will happen the more you try. Be open to meeting new people. Another great way to meet like-minded people is to join a club or take a course. You don’t have to enroll in full-time study either. Why not take a weekend workshop in something you’ve always wanted to do?
4. Change your schedule and try something different.
When we’re stuck in a rut, we’re coasting along in life. It seems like we are just on automatic pilot. In order to shake ourselves out of the rut, try changing your routine and try something different. How about taking a different route home from work? Can you walk part of the way home, if you normally take the bus?
Instead of getting up at your normal time, get up an hour earlier and go for an early morning walk. Change the time you go to bed – if you’re a night-owl why not try going to be earlier and getting a full night’s sleep. If you go to bed at 9:00 PM, why not try staying up and doing something different during that hour.
Do something that breaks you out of your normal schedule and routine. Wear different clothes than you normally would. Get a haircut and change your appearance while you’re at it. Take more time during the morning and really make an impression today. Notice the difference that it makes in how people see you and how you see yourself.
5. Get out and volunteer your time.
When we’re stuck in a rut there is the tendency to think that no matter what we do, it will always be the same. Instead of getting mired in the same negative thoughts about our lives, try getting out and volunteering your time with those who are less fortunate than yourself. Being around people who really appreciate you and your skills is a great way to shake up your life and not take things for granted.
There are so many worthwhile organizations that you can volunteer with. Why not check out your local soup kitchen to see if they can use your help. Just being around people who are in worse situations than yourself can result in you gaining appreciation for what you do have in life.
You don’t have to join large organizations. Why not see if your local community center or library can use your skills? Maybe you can teach a skill to kids who can learn something from you. The idea is to get out and volunteer your time and skills. Help someone who needs it. You’ll be surprised at how much you get back from volunteering. Are you currently in a rut? It’s safe and comfortable being there, isn’t it? But, you know that you have to take action to get out of that rut. Warning, trying the above tips may actually get you out of your rut. You’re forewarned.
Karen Ruby writes articles about using personal development strategies for putting meaning into your existence at her site, A Meaningful Existence. Learn more personal development strategies at http://www.ameaningfulexistence.com/
Article Source: Five Ways to Get Out of Your Rut
More From Arlene Taveroff
Related posts:
- Random Acts of Kindness List: 20 Ways To Show Your Good Side By Michael Lee It always feels good to do random acts of kindness, because it exemplifies the saying, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” But doesn’t it feel like the world is such a big place for just one person to change? The truth is that every little good thing we [...]...
- Eight Tips to Increase Your Social Circle By Matt Lenzie There are many different things that you can do to increase your social circle, which can have far reaching effects on many aspects of your life. Choosing to increase the number of people that you know can be a very rewarding and engaging experience both from a personal and business perspective. So what [...]...
- Best Ways to Stimulate Creativity By Diane Conklin Recently, I was speaking to an advisor of mine who told me she perceived that I was a creative person. I grew up avoiding reading and writing because I was criticized and punished frequently by my parents and teachers. Of course, I avoided working on those skills because I thought I was [...]...
- Five Easy Ways To Look And Feel Younger By: Virtuality Studio Get more sleep! Getting enough rest will help you in many areas of your life. You will not only LOOK better, but you will be more energetic, productive, happy and healthy. You may think that you don’t have time to allow yourself a full night‘s rest, when in actuality you can accomplish more [...]...
- 7 Ways to Sky Rocket Your Energy By Karen Fagan 1. Understand Your Body’s Natural Energy Flow Understand your natural ebb and flow of energy throughout the day so that you feel a sense of peace, calm and overall ‘feel good’. Doing this, and aligning life with your natural energy flow, will increase your energy level on a daily basis. Perhaps you are full of [...]...
Create a list of what you want to do accomplish in life.??? Old advice and
not a bad idea – but doesn’t always work that way.
‘Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.’
~ John Lennon
More than just about children – but other factors can also change those plans one makes.
Usefull information , THX !