| BREAKING OUT OF A RUT |
19. Jan 2010|09:43 |
By: Rick Warren
It is easy to get stuck in a rut at work – to get stuck in the same place, doing the same thing, handling the same responsibilities. It can become comfortable because the routine is so familiar. And change can be difficult, because it involves venturing into the unknown and the uncertain. But settling into a rut is dangerous. As humorist Will Rogers used to say, “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there!”
When you find yourself stuck in such a rut, what does it take to get you moving? For the majority of people, there are three common motivators for bringing about change, whether they like it or not:
PAIN – Pain in any of its many forms can motivate us to seek change. Often it is not seeing the light that gets us moving, but feeling the heat.
PRESSURE – We feel pressure when the doctor gives us the dire news, “Lose 50 pounds or die,” or the boss says, “Improve on your performance or be fired.” The problem with pressure as a motivator is that it does not last. When the pressure subsides – the imposing problem is fixed, or the overwhelming crisis is somehow solved – your motivation comes to an end. All seems right with the world and you can resume life as usual.
PERSPECTIVE – Perspective comes when you become able to see the big picture, or when you are deeply inspired by a challenging vision or purpose. Perspective takes hold when you realize that you are wasting your potential, squandering promising opportunities that have come your way.
But we do not have to wait until we suddenly receive motivation from pain, pressure or perspective. As the Bible reminds us, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you’ll never get anything done” (Ecclesiastes 11:4).
Here are four steps for breaking out of a rut:
1. Assume responsibility for your own life: Refuse to be an Excuser (rationalizing your failures) or an Accuser (blaming others for your failures). Instead, be a Chooser and choose to break out of the rut you find yourself in.
2. Believe you can: Stop saying I can’t, and start saying I can. When you start saying that, you may be surprised to discover that you truly can.
3. Clarify what you really want: Write down specifically how you would like to change – or to see changed .
4. Do not wait for ideal circumstances: Stop saying, “I will do it one of these days, when things settle down.” Do it now! “One of these days” is really NONE of these days.
Adapted from a column by Dr. Rick Warren, the author of numerous books, including the highly acclaimed, The Purpose-Drive Life, which has been translated into many languages and sold throughout the world. It affirms the importance of having a carefully considered, clearly expressed purpose to guide everyday life. He also has written a number of other books, including The Purpose of Christmas.
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