How To Avoid Being Stuck In A Rut

HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF STUCK IN A RUT which you just cannot seem to get out of? Even the best of us, seem to plateau at times. This can happen to us in relationships, business ventures, or personal achievement goals. Also, health issues or disabilities can totally disrupt our lifestyle cadence. We may even find ourselves wrestling within our own belief systems. Actions and convictions which previously seemed so unequivocally correct, just no longer work for us. Such changes in our demeanor can consume our thoughts, infiltrate our actions, and drag us down.

While in my mid-twenties I worked as a real estate agent. At the time, I was supporting a family and working hard to build a career, but sometimes found myself frozen in place. I was working hard with telephone cold-calling and canvassing neighborhoods with door-to-door introductions. However, while I was working hard to just make a living, top-earning agents around me were middle-aged, already wealthy, and just had a pleasurable time listing and selling homes through social contact at highbrow parties. I was simply not meeting my goals, caught within a less-than-satisfactory earnings range, and sliding into despondency at times. I needed help.

In the 1970’s, motivational seminars were big, and I attended a lot of inspirational conferences. I have welcomed the teachings of Norman Vincent Peale, Stephen Covey, Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, Dr. Wayne Dyer, and others. Within weeks of attending, however, the feelings would wane, and I discovered many techniques did not always work in my world. In the long term, I would fare only slightly better off.

Growing wearing of my situation, I moved my license to a small real estate agency that I had been referred to. The owner/broker of that agency, Roger, became a Coach to me. He took me with him on sales calls, and to a wide variety of consultations where he would later discuss his actions and alternative actions which could have been chosen.

As we tread the paths that our lives take, we are influenced by some people we intersect with. I learned to tweak my behavior in positive ways from the influence of Roger in my life. Only later, after leaving the real estate industry, did I recognize the genuine effects of his encouragement. Today, I am more sensitive to those who influence me and make a point of letting them know how appreciative I am for their positive encouragement. I am still learning.

As a Performance and Productivity Coach, I help others successfully navigate changes to new levels of accomplishment. Although I hold four academic degrees, I believe in Dr. Albert Einstein’s quote, “The only source of knowledge is experience. Everything else is just information.” We need the information, of course; but, if we do not put that information to work for us, it does not create a change within us; nor does it make us worthy to teach others.

In our experiences, we can become derailed, misguided, or mired down. We cannot remain in that position for long without experiencing disheartenment, which can prompt unwise choices. Therefore, it is important to recognize our vulnerability to this situation and redirect our bearing while we still can.

We should remember the lessons we have learned along the way, and cling to the positive stimuli while eradicating the negative. Every new day brings opportunities to better ourselves if we just focus our intent on doing so. Avoid costly mistakes when in a quandary. Top producers surround themselves with the best coaches, counselors for good reason; they are more productive when not stuck in a rut.

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