Are you stuck in a rut? You are not alone. This happens to most people at least once in their lives. To prove it, I’d like to share my own “stuck in a rut” story.
I began running in my early 20s. I joined a running club in my hometown and used running to stay healthy, strong, and at a desirable weight. Running also helped me cope with the paralyzing sadness and loss I was feeling over my mother’s impending death from colon cancer (long before today’s treatments were available). I continued to run after her death because it made me feel good. Thus began a daily routine.
I continued to run until I was sidelined with a back injury in 1987. I gave up the running that I loved for low-impact walking. Several years later, I added weight training. The desire to protect my back and prevent additional injuries is what got me out of my daily “only running” rut.
However, I was still stuck in a rut because of my chronic back problems. I was very cautious about what exercises I would and wouldn’t do. The result, of course, is that I got bored with my exercise routine and I wasn’t sure how to safely change it.
Happily, my younger sister invited me to attend a Pure Barre class with her. Not only did I get “sister time” but this aerobic, body toning, isometric, and muscle firming exercise program has greatly added to my fitness routine. It uses muscles I wasn’t exercising with my walking and weight lifting. And I am amazed at how good I feel afterwards.
You may be stuck in a rut that has nothing to do with exercise and everything to do with _____ (you fill in the blank with career, school, a relationship, or something else that might need change or a fresh start).
We stay stuck in our ruts because they are comfortable, familiar, and/or predictable. It’s time to get unstuck by exploring a different direction.
Examine the following areas of your life to determine if you are stuck in a rut. Use the questions to consider a different path or “a road less traveled.”
Career
• Could you change careers? To what?
• Should you recareer? (To learn more, read “What is recareering?”)
• Is there a complimentary career you could add? (as I added life coaching to my therapy practice)
• Are you passionate about something you have not yet pursued?
• Do you have unused skills? What career do they match?
Exercise
• Are you bored with your routine?
• What factors are holding you back from making a change? (I was protecting my back)
• What would you like to try?
• Is there something you could do with a friend/partner?
Relationships
• Are there family relationships that could benefit from more of your time and attention?
• Are there unhealthy relationships you need to let go?
• Are there individuals you would like to get to know or know better?
• Whom could you mentor?
Use questions like these anytime you feel stuck in a rut you sincerely want to escape.