Distributed to #SELF
7 Ways To Kick Inertia In The Butt And Get Your Life Going Again
You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to get things back on track.
If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.- Dolly Parton
Life can move fast with new opportunities around every corner. When this happens, everything seems promising and exciting.
But what about when you’re stuck in a rut? Those times when nothing’s going on, and you feel like nothing’s going to change? When life stalls, it’s easy to get caught up in the inertia of feeling sorry for yourself.
What you might not know is that it’s just as easy to kick that feeling in the butt and get yourself going again when you have a plan. It’s really not that hard with a few sensible strategies.
During those times, you just need to be a little more proactive to get things going again. Sometimes it only takes one small shift to get life back on track.
Whether you’re sick of your job, ready to meet someone special, or just bored with life, trying some of these things are guaranteed to help you get unstuck.
So in the spirit of getting on with it and taking life by the horns, here are seven things you can do with one special bonus at the very end:
1. Break a bad habit.
We all have bad habits. We cling to them, and somehow they end up feeling like a part of us.
If you do something habitually that slows you down, it might be that bad habit holding you back so, tackling it might be a good idea.
Maybe you’re not meeting any suitable mates. Do you smoke? Perhaps that’s what’s turning a lot of potential partners off. Do you drink too much or complain too much? Do you spend too much time on social media or playing video games? These are all habits that people use to self medicate.
Self-medicating is a way to avoid problems. If you’re indulging in bad habits, you may be trying to avoid complicated feelings.
Tackling those issues is a sure-fire way to soften the speed bumps so your life can get moving again. The sense of empowerment you’ll have from overcoming a lifelong sore spot or difficulty can act like rocket fuel for your life’s energy.
There are lots of great books to help with this, I have personally used the Alan Carr method for weight loss and drinking. I’ve written articles about my successes with Bright Line Eating and the book The Big Leap. Two of my personal favorites.
2. Start a good habit.
Maybe you don’t have too many bad habits, but you don’t have many good ones either. Starting a good practice can be a great way to get things moving in the right direction.
Do you need to eat better? Exercise more? Read more books? Then just go ahead and start.
Once you get those positive juices flowing, good things will happen. You’ll be meeting new people and trying new things. You’ll have so much fun filling your life with the forward motion you won’t even have to think about it.
3. Make a list.
This little action can produce more significant results than you think.
Making lists can work wonders to focus your mind on change. It can be a one-year plan or five-year plan, it can be a list of things you’ll do next week, next month, or that day. Writing it down subconsciously activates your brain to start doing.
I did this last year. I made a five-year plan, and when I revisited it a year later, I’d achieved a lot of the goals I’d set in the second and third years. I was able to see how far I’ve come by referring to the list, and it made me realize the gains I’d made.
One of my favorite books about writing things down is called Write It Down Make It Happen. It’s not about lists specifically but is about writing down your goals to activate your brain to make them happen.
4. Think about things.
It might sound strange, but just thinking about your life and giving it some thought can help. If you want to take this one step further, you can try mindfulness or meditation. You can practice detaching from the outcome and letting go of that destructive little voice that taunts you.
Thinking about things can bring much-needed honesty to a stalled life. When you’re completely alone in your head you have total privacy and the space to be honest. Nobody can see what you’re thinking so you can dare to delve a little deeper.
I used to have a long commute by bus, and the ride home would often be in the dark. Since I couldn’t read on the journey, I decided to set that time aside to think about things.
It was amazing how many problems I sorted out in my head during those journeys.
You might want to try this, try turning off your electronics on a trip, and using that time to think about your life. Really actively do some problem solving or meditate instead of wasting time on fluff and social media.
You’ll be surprised just how productive thinking things through without distraction can be.
5. Find one self-help thing that works.
There’s lots of self help out there.
I’ve mentioned meditation and mindfulness, but what about tapping or visualization? How about affirmations, chakra work, crystals?
There is a whole host of self help out there just waiting for you. Some are psychology-based, and some are more spiritual. Whether you’re firmly grounded in reality, or you like to explore spiritual possibilities, if you start exploring, you’re bound to find something that feels right.
Just popping out to a book store and perusing the shelves might be enough to get you out of your head and into your heart a bit.
Just being in that heart space can create opportunities to move you forward.
6. Phase one negative person out of your life.
Sometimes we attach ourselves to people who sabotage our dreams and goals.
If you have someone who always seems to ruin everything for you and hang onto them because they’ve always been there, it might be time to let that person go. It doesn’t have to be a big blow out, maybe you can just start gently phasing them out.
Sometimes you can’t bring positive new people into your world until you make space for them.
7. Bring one positive person into your life.
When you get rid of that negative person, make a point of bringing in someone positive.
See if you can get out there and meet some new people.
If there’s someone you’ve always thought was interesting, someone you’d like to know better, not necessarily a love interest, see if you can facilitate that. Maybe a new friend, a kindred spirit, would kick your life up a notch.
Go for coffee, sit beside them in the break room, start up a random conversation.s Maybe this person was just waiting for a way to meet you too.
I met one of my best friends because of a random conversation at a mall.
She had a baby strapped to her, and her purse contents spread out on a bench. She was so out of place and so real that I instantly liked her. I had my three-year-old daughter with me, so I struck up a conversation using our children as the connection point. She has been a source of love and light in my life for over 10 years.
You never know where you’ll meet good people, never stop looking for them, and don’t be afraid to introduce yourself.
Bonus Idea:
*** Do one thing just for yourself.***
Start a hobby or revisit a passion.
Is there something you loved doing when you were a kid? Did you always like to paint? Did you love to sing, or run, or read? Is there something you’ve always wanted to try? Maybe there are a bunch of things.
If there’s something that you know deep down you were meant to do, but you always thought passions were for other people? The time to shake up the status quo is now.
Whether its rock climbing or playing the tuba when you start something new, you stimulate your brain in new ways. Giving yourself this little kick start can shake up your life in meaningful ways.
Whether you learn to love your own company or meet new people, being true to yourself and honoring your passion can only lead to better things.
Everyone gets stuck sometimes. You might feel stuck right now. But don’t worry, there are loads of ways to get unstuck. Break a few bad habits, let go of some toxic people, discover a passion, make a plan. Kick inertia right in the behind and send it out the door.
All you have to do is recognize the possibility of changing your life’s trajectory, and it will happen.
Life leaps like a geyser for those willing to drill through the rock of inertia. -Alexis Carrel
Thanks so much for reading!
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