Stuck in a R.U.T? 3 Steps to Reinvigorating Your Life
Monday, December 14, 2009 at 2:16PM ;)
Megan Walls, CPC, ELI-MP, ACCHave you ever seen the movie Groundhog Day? In it, Bill Murray’s character relives Groundhog Day over and over and is unable to figure out to how to get out of his rut. We all experience ruts, both professionally and personally. It is understandable because ruts are the familiar, secure and comfortable routines that we let shape and control us. Unfortunately, ruts are frustrating, draining, unproductive and can be hard to break because they require change. Yet, breaking free can be invigorating and liberating.
I worked with a client who was experiencing a professional rut. Her company was going through a merger, she had lost her motivation and began procrastinating. She felt sluggish, often making her late to work. She noticed her thoughts were mainly negative. She was stuck in a rut! Not only was she stuck professionally; it was starting to affect her personal life as well. She struggled with how to move ahead.
What helped her was my 3-step process to overcome ruts with any easy to remember acronym: R.U.T!
R: Realize the source of the rut. The first step toward change is awareness. Take the time to reflect and monitor which activities are draining you, taking too much time or aren’t moving you forward. By pinpointing the source, you can clarify the situation then make positive change. My client realized that the source of her rut was the fear of not knowing if she was going to have a job once the merger was complete. She was not getting answers from her boss or the company. From this realization, she understood what was going on and was ready to look at ways to move beyond it.
U: Uncover the options to overcome the rut. By considering other possibilities, you stretch yourself to think beyond the comfort of the unhealthy routine and remind yourself you have a choice. Choice puts you back in your personal power and moves you forward. Here are two options my client considered:
- Continuing to do the same thing and stay stuck or
- Change her focus from what she couldn’t control (her fear of not knowing the fate of her job) to what she could control (herself and her ability to find opportunities available to her now).
It didn’t take her long to choose option 2 since it put her back in control and motivated her to move forward both personally and professionally.
T: Take action. Once you decide the best option, you create a goal and devise an action plan. Action is the key ingredient since it motivates you to take responsibility, makes you commit to your goal and sustains you to your desired outcome. My client’s goal was to focus on her professional development. She committed to taking bi-monthly training courses provided by her company, attending 3 networking events a month and contacting influential people for job prospecting. By taking responsibility and getting into action, she changed her mindset to positive, realized some great opportunities and reenergized herself. Best of all she broke free of her rut.
We all encounter ruts yet we don’t have to relive Groundhog Day. Remember the acronym RUT. By realizing the source of the rut, uncovering the options and taking action, you can move beyond your rut and feel empowered and energized.
Megan Walls, CPC, ELI-MP, ACC
Conscious Connection
847-272-5807
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