Looking for Inspiration...
I hate ruts, and I've been in many myself. It can seem like everything is blah and gray and whoooo caaaares...and then that builds on itself. Especially with those pretty leaves falling and cold weather to come -- it's a low motivation time of year.
What this process does is sap away your ability to create new possibilities, which makes it seem like things are even more boring. This is your reality for now. Later you'll be back to your creative, motivated self. But just for now, accept that the world looks gray and boring and sucks -- even though it's possible to change this pretty easily later on. But for now, accept that this is your world.
So what's happening now? Let's focus on what it's like to be at the center of a rut. Usually, this stagnation happens when part of you wants to grow, and part of you...doesn't. The part that doesn't want to grow starts trying to convince you that there is just nuthin' out there! Look! Nothing. The world is blah and sucks. Why try? Let's give up and have a cookie. Ahhh. Better.
It's fine to stay in the rut for a while. Especially when you are gathering your thoughts and deciding what you do/don't want. What you will notice is that during the rut you will find some things extremely boring and/or frustrating -- pay attention to those things! Write them down. Part of you is pointing out to you what you don't want your life to be, so listen. These things are more important than you realize, because this is the foundation to the next step, change.
You will also notice that these boring and frustrating situations can make you also feel somewhat pleasant, despite hating them. That pleasant feeling is the part of you that fears change trying to hold onto your routine -- even though you hate your routine. We all fear change, and this is just one way that we hold onto the present to avoid the unknown future. Nothing wrong with that -- so notice when the boring situations also feel OK to you. You'll be ready to take the leap soon, bu for now, just notice where you are at. What does it feel like to be where you're at, exactly at this moment? Write that down. How would you prefer to feel right at this moment? Write that down in the next column.
Now that the ball is rolling, make another list of all the things that you currently hate, dislike and dread. Title this "The Crap I am Putting up With (But I Deserve Better)." Then, write down the reverse of that in the next column. Done? Now title your second list "What I Deserve"
Write your deserve list in the present tense. Now, we both know you don't instantly have it, but just let your mind think that you might already have it, which will increase your motivaton and belief in yourself.
After making this list, even if you still feel like crap, celebrate. You've just opened the door a tiny bit and that puts you closer to being on the path to making it happen. It's not going to take that long anyway. So let's speed it up even faster now...
Look at your lists again. Which column feels better? Which feels right to you?
It may take a while to have the new column feel right. The crappy "I hate" column may feel right to you for a while, because it's what you are used to. You might not feel resonance with the "awesome" column until you adjust to the idea that 1) it's possible 2) you deserve it 3) it's in your control to achieve.
Getting there isn't something you can convince yourself of logically. If it was that easy we'd all be constantly motivated billionaires. So you first have to take some steps to get the motivation flowing. You need to warm up your motivation muscles.
Tips:
Sometimes I like to shake things up by doing these things.
1) Doing something that scares me a bit (even just a tad is a great start).
From this point, things will continue to build if you keep challenging yourself to break out of the mold. One small action a day and the ball will stay rolling. Continue working with your lists and notice what feels right and what doesn't. There are more steps after that, but to keep on topic...a lack of inspiration serves a purpose. It tells you what you don't want. Use that and it will give you a map towards what you do want!!
What this process does is sap away your ability to create new possibilities, which makes it seem like things are even more boring. This is your reality for now. Later you'll be back to your creative, motivated self. But just for now, accept that the world looks gray and boring and sucks -- even though it's possible to change this pretty easily later on. But for now, accept that this is your world.
So what's happening now? Let's focus on what it's like to be at the center of a rut. Usually, this stagnation happens when part of you wants to grow, and part of you...doesn't. The part that doesn't want to grow starts trying to convince you that there is just nuthin' out there! Look! Nothing. The world is blah and sucks. Why try? Let's give up and have a cookie. Ahhh. Better.
It's fine to stay in the rut for a while. Especially when you are gathering your thoughts and deciding what you do/don't want. What you will notice is that during the rut you will find some things extremely boring and/or frustrating -- pay attention to those things! Write them down. Part of you is pointing out to you what you don't want your life to be, so listen. These things are more important than you realize, because this is the foundation to the next step, change.
You will also notice that these boring and frustrating situations can make you also feel somewhat pleasant, despite hating them. That pleasant feeling is the part of you that fears change trying to hold onto your routine -- even though you hate your routine. We all fear change, and this is just one way that we hold onto the present to avoid the unknown future. Nothing wrong with that -- so notice when the boring situations also feel OK to you. You'll be ready to take the leap soon, bu for now, just notice where you are at. What does it feel like to be where you're at, exactly at this moment? Write that down. How would you prefer to feel right at this moment? Write that down in the next column.
Now that the ball is rolling, make another list of all the things that you currently hate, dislike and dread. Title this "The Crap I am Putting up With (But I Deserve Better)." Then, write down the reverse of that in the next column. Done? Now title your second list "What I Deserve"
Write your deserve list in the present tense. Now, we both know you don't instantly have it, but just let your mind think that you might already have it, which will increase your motivaton and belief in yourself.
After making this list, even if you still feel like crap, celebrate. You've just opened the door a tiny bit and that puts you closer to being on the path to making it happen. It's not going to take that long anyway. So let's speed it up even faster now...
Look at your lists again. Which column feels better? Which feels right to you?
It may take a while to have the new column feel right. The crappy "I hate" column may feel right to you for a while, because it's what you are used to. You might not feel resonance with the "awesome" column until you adjust to the idea that 1) it's possible 2) you deserve it 3) it's in your control to achieve.
Getting there isn't something you can convince yourself of logically. If it was that easy we'd all be constantly motivated billionaires. So you first have to take some steps to get the motivation flowing. You need to warm up your motivation muscles.
Tips:
Sometimes I like to shake things up by doing these things.
1) Doing something that scares me a bit (even just a tad is a great start).
- An activity where there is a chance you will look like an idiot (remind yourself even if you do look like an idiot, you'll love yourself anyway, so who cares)
- Something just slightly out of your comfort zone
- Going somewhere completely new
- Creating something
- Anything where you could fail or there is some risk involved (preferably emotional risk)
- If I've been staying in, I'll go out. And vice versa
- Talk to oppostive types of people
- Play devil's advocate and express a viewpoint you don't really agree with
- If I've been active, I'll be still and vice versa
- Start by passing the street you normally walk on and take the next one. You can discover amazing new things this way!
- Avoid one place you usually go very often. Go anywhere else
- Hang out with a different group of people/try a new activity
- Read a book you'd normally never buy
- Try on the most hideous clothes you can find at a store in colors you think you will hate -- pretty interesting experience!
From this point, things will continue to build if you keep challenging yourself to break out of the mold. One small action a day and the ball will stay rolling. Continue working with your lists and notice what feels right and what doesn't. There are more steps after that, but to keep on topic...a lack of inspiration serves a purpose. It tells you what you don't want. Use that and it will give you a map towards what you do want!!
http://www.yourdreamslifecoach.com
Want to find the best life coach for you and your goals? Need a new life? Career or personal dreams? Find out more about Life Coaching. I'm a NYC Certified Life Coach serving professional, ambitious clients -- I coach financial traders, attorneys, entrepreneurs, artists and anyone creating a big, brand new life.
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