Sometimes I feel less than great. Low, grouchy, fed-up, and bored are all words you could use to describe what I’m like on those days and I’m probably not the best company. The thing is, days like those are part of the deal with being human – it’s not an elective. There will always be off days, and that’s okay.
But what happens when you get a whole string of those off-days, maybe lasting weeks, months, or even years? Too many of us say that we’re in a rut, feel stuck, fed-up, or bored, and admit that we don’t want things to be that way, but we don’t know what to do to change. That’s the problem, when you’re in a rut, you don’t have the energy or motivation to change things for the better, and it’s tough to find the insight or resources you need to make that jump.
Here are five fun and easy ways you can use right now to climb, or better yet, leap, out of the rut and start to get something better for yourself.
1. Do Something Differently
Life tends to run smoothly when we establish systems and routines for things, but the problem comes when things run too smoothly and we become blinded to any ideas or choices that sit outside of our routine. All the stuff we do every day becomes the norm, running on auto-pilot, and it becomes our whole world.
Start with making one or two simple changes to your day – be it at breakfast time, your radio station, gym routine, route to work, lunch routine, etc. Don’t worry about what the changes are or whether they’re right or wrong, just make a couple of simple choices that will serve you well.
Doing something differently or changing parts of your routine, instantly takes you out of the norm and allows you to shake off the things that make you feel confined. Step out of your routine and you’ll be in a position where you’re able to make different choices, see things differently and get a different result.
2. Use your Intuition
Your intuition is a powerful ally, and we all have it even though you might not recognize it. The dictionary says that intuition is:
1.a. The act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition.
1.b. Knowledge gained by the use of this faculty; a perceptive insight.
2. A sense of something not evident or deducible; an impression.
One of the best friends you’ll ever have in life is your intuition, and tuning into it and learning to trust it is something that can have some truly remarkable effects. Accessing your intuition is a bit like working and developing a muscle, but unfortunately, it can be harder to locate than a bicep or quadricep, which tend to stay in the same place. Here are some quick tips for accessing and trusting it –
• Practice maintaining an open-minded, playful, experimental, non-judgmental attitude. This is the most fertile ground to tap into your intuition.
• Practice making wild guesses in your everyday life. Guess what a salesperson’s name is, what a new person or place will look like or who’s calling on the phone. Don’t worry about getting it wrong, you’re just working that muscle.
• Try a few simple observation exercises in your daily life. Whether you’re in a restaurant, on a train, in a bar, or out shopping, practice noticing non-verbal behavior in others. Look for shifts in posture, eye movements, vocal tone or tempo, etc. Guess how they’re feeling or what they’re talking about.
I hope these tips help you in your personal growth Journey
I have been listening to the personal development program that I market as part of my business. – today was all about how we can make a difference in how we live and show up every day. The presenter shared the Starfish story and it’s a great illustration of making a difference in other people’s lives. We all have the power to inspire and make a difference.
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An old man was doing his daily walk along the beach one morning, when he spotted a young boy crouched by the water, scooping something up from the sand and throwing it into the sea.
The beach was normally empty at this time of day, and so the old man stopped to watch for a while.
He noticed that the boy kept on shuffling a little further down the beach, then repeating this same action again and again – stopping, scooping, throwing, moving.
“What are you doing there, boy?” the old man asked, walking closer.
“I’m saving these starfish that are stranded” replied the boy, “if they stay on the beach they will dry out and die, so I’m putting them back into the ocean so they can live.”
The old man was silent for a few seconds.
“Young man” he said, “on this stretch of beach alone, there must be more than one hundred stranded starfish. Around the next corner, there must be at least one thousand more. This goes on for miles and miles and miles – I’ve done this walk every day for 10 years, and it’s always the same. There must be millions of stranded starfish! I hate to say it, but you’ll never make a difference.”
The boy replied “well I just made a difference for that one”, and continued with his work.
I found this delightful story and its a great reminder to us all to live a meaningful life. Enjoy
There was a farmer who grew excellent quality wheat and every season he won the award for the best grown in his county. One year a reporter from the local newspaper interviewed the farmer and learned that each Spring the man shared his seed with his neighbors so that they too could plant it in their fields… “How can you afford to share your best wheat seed with your neighbors when they are entering their crops in the competition with yours?” the reporter asked…. “Why that’s very simple,” the farmer explained… “The wind picks up pollen from the developing wheat and carries it from field to field. If my neighbors grow inferior wheat, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of all the wheat, including mine. If I am to grow good wheat, I must help my neighbors grow good wheat”… The reporter realized how the farmer’s explanation also applied to peoples’ lives in the most fundamental way… Those who want to live meaningfully and well must help enrich the lives of others, for the value of a life is measured by the lives it touches. And those who choose to be happy must help others find happiness, for the welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all…
Do you set the intention each day to make it a good one.
No one can make your day a bad one unless you allow them. It is completely up to you to decide how you are going to take things that happen today. You are in charge of the steering of the ship. Here are some tips to help you make it a wonderful day.
“To create a wonderful day sometimes it takes just a slight change in the way you look at it. Be willing to let go of an old, negative way that you look at something, and look at it in a new, positive way”.
Louise Hay
1. Start the day by being thankful for what you have and for what the day brings. Write up what you are grateful for. If you have a gratitude diary use that. Or, If you do not have a gratitude journal – it’s a great time to start one. This will help a lot with your positive thinking.
2. Stay well aware that you get to choose how your day turns out. You are able to make a choice on how you are going to perceive anything that happens. Make the choice right now that you are going to look for the positive in everything that comes about today.
3. Decide to be happy and cheerful, to laugh and play as much as you can today. See more of the funny side of life. Share your joy and laughter with other people.
4. Live your intentions. Be sure how you are showing up and your goals are in alignment and live them. Stay genuine to yourself and what you believe.
5. Do something special for yourself today. It does not have to be anything big or expensive. Just think of something that would make you happy and do it for yourself. No reason necessary.
6. Do something nice for somebody else today. Make it an unexpected treat like paying for someone’s coffee or lunch. Make someone smile and you will also feel great.
7. Do something completely silly. Break away from your normal routine. Do not take yourself so seriously. Make somebody laugh at you or with you.
8. Show your affectionate and love to somebody who might not expect it. Surprise them with a special word or note. Make their day happier.
9. Smile at everyone you see today – give them a big smile and a cheery hello. They will answer to you the same way and that will make you feel good too.
10. Celebrate how great you feel. Be joyful and take a moment to celebrate.
