How To Quickly Get Out of a Rut Within 7 Days
If, like me, you tend to sometimes veer off track with where you want to be in life. Be that slacking off from the gym, letting your diet slip, or letting that glass of wine or beer slip into your weekday routine. Hey, welcome to the club! This post will tell you how you can quickly get out of a rut and get back on track within just seven days.
Do you experience long periods of success followed by a few weeks of destruction where everything good you've done seemingly turns to shit? Yo-yo dieting is very common, as is going to the gym followed by periods of swapping the gym for going to the pub with your mates or just sitting on your arse watching Netflix. It appears to be a common pattern for many Men. It is often the result of deeper psychological issues, but that is a topic for another time.
In this post, I want to share three effective strategies to help you get out of a rut within just seven days. But before I do, I want to touch upon the subject of motivation briefly. It's the buzz word of the self-help and personal development industry, and quite frankly, I think it's overrated, and in most cases, can do more harm than it does good. Motivation at its very best is extremely short-lived. Taking action, no matter how small, will always trump motivation!
Motivation comes when you are inspired. And quite frankly, when I'm in a rut, very little inspires me. Watching motivational videos on youtube of some dude busting out a CrossFit workout just reminds me of what a lazy out of shape bastard I'm being. The same goes for all these so-called business gurus and success coaches getting out of their supercars and getting on a private jet. I don't know about you, but that doesn't inspire me; it makes me fucking depressed.
Strategy 1 - Do something (no matter how small)
Let a small action motivate you, no matter how small. If you've had a few weeks off from the gym and the thought of going down and busting your arse fills you with dread. Drag your arse down there and take it easy. Train arms and chest, rather than legs, work on mobility or do some cardio. Just being in the gym environment will give you a feeling of accomplishment, and you finish the day with a win.
Now take that mentality and apply it to other areas of your daily life. Got a To-Do List as long as your arm of tasks you've been putting off for ages. Forget about doing the hardest one first. I don't swallow the premise of getting the most arduous task out the way first. My advice is to get the easiest one completed because it will give you the all-important forward momentum you need and build from there.
"Apply this principle to the area of your life that you are struggling with, and I guarantee it works" - Damian King.
Strategy 2 - reward yourself for small wins
It might sound counter-intuitive but let me explain. I tend to fall off the proverbial wagon every now and then. I have periods where my entire lifestyle is on-point. Fitness, health, daily habits, productivity etc. Then every so often, I have a minor blip. My diet can slip; drinking one day a week turns into 3-4 times, I slack off from the gym etc. It can be for any number of reasons - poor sleep, stress, or because I simply can't be arsed. It's incredibly easy to undo months of hard work in just a few weeks. But as I've got older, I have come to spot the warning signs and have been able to implement the strategies I am sharing with you, which enable me to get out of a rut without too much collateral damage.
If you find yourself in a rut and out of sync with the effective daily habits you know you know should be adhering to. Please do not make the mistake of trying to undo them all at once. Because in the majority of cases, you will be destined for failure. Or highly likely to keep putting off making the changes altogether.
Start with one, maybe two things and build from there. Minor changes are the key to making more significant changes. The all at once method rarely works unless you have the willpower of David Goggins.
An example would be cutting out alcohol. Suppose you want to cut out alcohol for a period of time. Do NOT make the mistake of jumping into a diet simultaneously because you will be destined for failure. For the first week of reducing your alcohol consumption, allow yourself to eat what you want (within reason). After the first week, you'll already have a win and would have gained the all-important forward momentum you so desire. The key is to build slowly.
"Cutting everything out or changing everything up all at once is often too much of a lifestyle change for most Men" - Damian King.
Strategy 3 - progressive overload
Grow and build a lifestyle that aligns with your vision and values but don't compare yourself to other people. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday or the week before. Rome wasn't built in a day, neither was a six-pack, and I guarantee no business became successful overnight. Anyone that tells you otherwise is talking shit or selling a programme or training course. Organic growth is growth that lasts. Quick fixes never last and seldom ever work.
As a Man of 42, who has lived a pretty eventful life, yet has made as many mistakes, if not more than the next Man, one thing I have come to realise is that consistency trumps just about everything else. Why train so hard in the gym that you injure yourself and can't train for weeks when you could train smarter (and lighter) and train consistently throughout the year. Why work 18 hour days on your business only to burnout and negatively impact your health and performance, when you could work 12 hour days six days a week and keep that up indefinitely.
Do you get my point?
Remember, we aren't trying to break records here. We are trying to get you out of a rut and gain forward momentum in life.
Damian King
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Disclaimer - Just a few points to make to cover my arse!
This post is not a replacement for professional help.
Whilst I am an advocate of plant-based medicines such as DMT, Ayahuasca & Psilocybin. I do not advise you to consume such medicines without doing your due diligence beforehand.
I am not a doctor. I am just an average guy who has tried every trick in the book, only to come to realise that no hack or shortcut can replace good old hard work and consistency.
Gents, a couple of things before you go
Have you checked out the latest episode of the podcast - Essential Life Advice For Men Turning 40
Blog posts you should check out - Why I Decided To Trek over 2,500 miles across India
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