Getting out of a rut is about stepping outside of what’s comfortable and into your ‘stretch zone’ instead, says Helen Jane Campbell. She recommends these steps to forge a path out of mundanity…
1 DEFINE WHAT YOU’D LIKE TO ACHIEVE
What does getting out of a rut mean to you? Once you know what you’re aiming for, your journey has begun. Write down your goals. If you’re not sure what success looks like, think about how you feel now versus how you’d like to feel in the future.
2 USE YOUR SENSES
Choose an uplifting track or a scent that helps you feel good. Listen to these tunes and/or smell this scent every time you work on your goal. This helps create a habit, and the association and repetition conjur up a sense of comfort and familiarity, which can be useful when you’re trying to make a change.
3 TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Noticing and reflecting on how far you’ve come can help with momentum, especially if you don’t put too much pressure on yourself to follow a linear journey. Note down your starting point and look at progress over the longterm, accepting setbacks. Simply scoring yourself out of ten is a quick and effective daily tool.
4 INVOLVE OTHERS
The support of others who have your best interests at heart can be an important part of getting out of a rut. The encouragement and camaraderie can be really motivating, whether you join a writing group or simply share your journey on social media. Knowing someone is expecting something of us increases the likelihood that we’ll show up, as we don’t wish to let someone else down – and our support can help them to achieve their goals, too.
5 CARVE OUT TIME
If you truly want to get o
