How To *Finally* Snap Out Of A Rut And Supercharge To Get Stuff Done

Trust me, if you are in a slump, you’re not alone!

Imagine finally writing that book you’ve dreamed of authoring.

Or imagine running the marathon you’ve had on your bucket list forever.

Maybe you’ve ultimately built the $1m business you always envisioned.

How would achieving these goals make you feel?

Fulfilled and energized is an understatement.

So much of what we read and see today is about ‘overnight’ successes.

Unfortunately, the reality is that life is messy, chaotic, and unpredictable.

We get stuck in a rut and struggle to chase the big life goals!

We over-dream our desires and under-commit to our actions.

With the winter blues and adulting chores added, it feels like we’re always playing catch up with our sleep, our workouts, or life in general.

Sometimes, even after successively showing up for yourself, you feel stuck. It feels like nothing can fuel that motivation or stir that productivity.

I was in this slump for a long time until I set a goal to run a half-marathon.

Using these 5 principles, I finally succeeded in achieving this one big goal.

Let me break this down with a runner’s analogy that’s always helpful!

The Runner’s Mindset

Chasing the big stuff in life is like running a marathon. Forever.

It’s only over if you run till the finish line and don’t give up.

It takes a ton of dedication.

It takes realistic goal-setting.

And a “no-crap to give” mental attitude.

Any big goal makes your ego panic or makes you feel vulnerable.

Slipping back into the comfort zone and remaining in a rut is always an easier option to fall back on. It’s familiar, warm and fuzzy there!

Without a strategy, that’s what is bound to happen.

So, here’s the strategy I apply when I need to get out of my head (and way) and put in the work that will give me the results I want for myself.

Whether that is running or writing.

(And, no, this strategy doesn't include cold plunges!)

Step 1: Level Set With Yourself And Invent A Realistic Deadline

If you’re new to running, signing up for a triathlon isn’t ideal.

Getting out of a funk is tough. Don’t make it tougher, unnecessarily.

In marathon training, the first run I attempted was a 5K.

I invented a deadline and set a date to go for the run. If I hadn’t kick-started with that timeline in mind, I’d still hope to run a 5K someday. Till today!

The day after I ran my 5K I knew I was ready to run a half-marathon.

I picked a date that felt realistic and that became my new deadline.

Extend yourself some grace when you are fighting the odds to do something out of the ordinary.

If you have been in a slump, and can’t seem to get yourself to write your ‘dream’ book, set an achievable target of writing 10,000 words per month.

Or 60,000 words in 6 months.

If it’s hard to find a topic to write about, start with 3 top-of-mind ideas.

Set an achievable target that can prove to yourself that you’re capable.

Keep it super simple!

Remind yourself, day in and day out, about this target. It makes you hopeful. It gives you a target to strive for. And it shows what’s possible.

And more importantly, it shows you who is in charge.

Step 2: Break Down The Micro-Goals Needed To Get There

If I am finding it hard to focus on work, cook a homemade meal, or make my way to the gym, I can’t push myself to run 5K runs every day.

I have to break down my big goals into bite-sized ones.

A lack of motivation stems from not seeing a direct connection between your actions and what you see as outcomes in your life.

Strengthening that connection between actions and outcomes is why making your bed is one of the biggest productivity hacks, scientifically.

Chasing big goals is energizing but also bloody hard and intimidating.

Decide the pace you need to reach today to achieve that goal tomorrow.

When I decided to run a half-marathon, I spent many weeks running 10Ks.

I printed beginner running plans and stuck them to my wardrobe door.

I knew the number of miles, rest days, and alternate workouts I needed to complete every week leading up to my race day, which was 12 weeks away.

If I only imagined myself on race day, running past the finish line and ready to hold my medal, I would be thrilled but also damn overwhelmed.

I wouldn’t know the necessary steps to take to get to that finish line!

If the big goal for you is to write a book, don’t worry about finding an agent, submitting an 80,000-word manuscript, or planning the launch and tours.

Don’t even think about the (millions of) dollars you’ll earn from sales.

Similarly, if you are launching a new business, don’t get stuck in the nitty-gritty details of fancy pitch decks and 30-page business plans. Please don’t!

Stop dreaming of million-dollar exits and focus on $5K/month revenues.

Then figure out how many website visits you need to get X number of sales calls, what is the conversion of each sales call and so on.

Don’t boil the ocean!

Once you’ve set a realistic target in Step 1, reverse engineer and calculate the micro-goals you need to achieve in Step 2.

Step 3: Do Regular Audits Of How Well You Are Performing

The biggest reason why New Year Resolutions fail is that people start the year ambitiously setting overarching goals and never revisit them.

Until it’s too late and they’ve already fallen off the wagon.

If corporates do quarterly appraisals or reviews for your job, why can’t we do monthly audits for us to check in on our personal goals?

Running a half-marathon is not only about the running bit.

Your sleep is crucial. How well you hydrate or recover is important.

Your nutrition can also be a game-changer. And so can your mindset.

I kept track of my routine to mark days where I struggled or succeeded.

This gave me an overall view of how I am performing in the big picture.

Did you achieve your running goal for the week? How difficult was it to meet your daily writing goal? What ancillary factors influenced you?

Regular audits help you to reflect on your actions and understand what is working and where the roadblocks or challenges are arising.

Because there will be dead-ends, detours, and distractions — 100%!

Sometimes the starting bit is easier, it is continuing that is harder. These audits help you identify what is not getting meaningful results.

Without awareness of what is working, it's hard to know what to change.

Step 3 does exactly that so that you know what needs to change in Step 4!

Step 4: Change Gears To Maximize Your Performance

What’s the point of measuring your performance if you aren’t going to optimize for what is working?

If everything is going well and you are constantly hitting your running milestones (pun intended) then study what was fueling that growth.

Unfortunately, it is quite unlikely that everything is going well. There’s always room for some improvement no matter where you’re at!

Which is why you have to re-establish the baseline.

Because…

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

— Albert Einstein

Maybe you need new running gear or a recovery stretch day, or there needs to be more scheduling in your routine to incorporate runs.

Re-establish the baseline and 10x what is working and eliminate what isn’t.

If writing 500 words per day is feeling too rigid, use that time to write story drafts, network with other writers, and go for long walks to recharge.

Maybe re-establish the baseline to 350 words and try that for a change.

Similarly, if writing 1000 words is easy to achieve in a corner coffee shop, plan your days to go there 2–3 times a week. Make it your ‘third’ place!

When you work hard to pull yourself out of a rut, the last thing you want is to slip back into it because nothing is working.

Even when you give it all, sometimes it doesn’t pay off. Switch things up!

It is what most people miss and repeatedly perform tasks that don’t work.

Don’t be most people. Identify the needle movers. And do more of that!

Step 5: Solidify The Why — What Truly Matters?

Remember that you are constantly fighting for the future version of you.

The you that you desire to become.

So, remember why you started because that future version of you is dependent upon the present you succeeding at the micro-goal today.

There’s a reason visualization techniques are so popular in coaching.

It’s also the reason why vision boards gained so much popularity.

They add visual imagery and define in pictures what is merely a thought.

What you can’t see is often hard to believe. Or imagine. Or chase.

When you set yourself up to achieve a goal, define why you chose it!

Is it to fulfill a childhood dream? Is it to make your family proud? Is it to create a positive impact on the world? Is it to achieve your fullest potential?

Focus on what truly matters and what would be at stake if you didn’t get out of this funk you are in right now.

How would it feel to fast forward to 2025 and see that you wrote a book?

Or ran a half-marathon.

Or started a business.

Chase that feeling.

Snapping out of a funk is hard. I get it.

But seeing ordinary people achieving extraordinary success is harder.

Someone with half your IQ is making 10x as you because they aren’t smart enough to doubt themselves.

— Ed Latimore

It’s easier to get out of a rut, stumble, and chase those big goals. Finally!

I am the founder of Geeks and Experts, and I love to write about PR for startups, founder wellness, immigrant founders, and writerpreneurship!

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