emember the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray repeating the same day over and over and over?
He was stuck in history’s most serious cosmic – and comic – rut.
The film became a classic because we can all relate to that feeling of sluggishly going through the motions… repeating the same tasks… encountering the same people… with no break in sight.
If you relate, or if you don’t find the meaning in anything anymore and feel like you’re just spinning your wheels, then you might be in a rut.
It’s no fun – I know.
Here’s how to snap out of it.
- Make a list of what’s dragging you down. Some items might be real, and some might be mild self-pity.
- Then make a list of what makes you happy in your day-to-day life, down to waving to the postman every day.
- Break out the list of resolutions or new year aims you made back in January. Where do these lists overlap or contradict each other. In other words, where are you failing to connect your values and desires with your words and actions? You said you wanted to run a 10K this summer but haven’t even walked around the block yet? There’s a starter.
- Decide if you need to make some changes in your daily/weekly processes — or whether you just need something fresh and different, like a vacation.
- Do one thing different each week for a month. Go to a new coffee shop, try the morning class at the gym instead of the evening…
- Volunteer your time and attention to a bigger cause.
- Talk to someone about how you’re feeling. A friend, mentor or therapist can help identify a bigger problem, like mild depression.
By all means, keep taking care of yourself and nurturing healthy habits.
