Page 80 - Lighting Magazine December 2019

on the mark
Getting
of the RUT
Feeling “stuck?” Good news! I have tips that can help you
get out of your own way and renew your positive momentum.
BY MARK OKUN
There is no getting around it; every once in a while, we all get in a rut. The main reason it happens is because of routine, with people moving through most of their days on autopilot. We wake up at
the same time every day, we drive the same routes to our destinations, our actions are predictable and consistent, and so we feel that every day is the same.
This daily repetition plows a rut through our work environments and begins to bore into our brains, giving us a hard hit in work performance. Here are some clues for identifying whether you are at risk of digging a rut in your life or if you are already firmly entrenched in one.
Rut-Oh
How did we get in this rut? It wasn’t a personal choice. We don’t wake up one day and say to our- selves, “I think I will do the same things the same way every day for so long I will exhaust myself.”
/ CLUE #1: Your motivation is sapped. You may have the desire to try new things, but when it is time to take action, there is a lack of enthusiasm.
/ CLUE #2: You feel bored with both old and new undertakings. Nothing lights you up; every day is the same. If being in a rut had a color, it would be grey or no color at all.
/ CLUE #3: You feel something’s not quite right and know you need to make an internal change, but you are reluctant to try. While we accept some tempo- rary discomfort for a permanent gain, when we’re in a rut, our fear of failure overrides action. The impact of staying in a rut too long can have a negative effect on our health, well-being, and work life.
76 enLIGHTenment Magazine | DeceMber 2019
www.enlightenmentmag.com
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