I came across a great quote the other day: The only difference between a rut and a grave is their dimensions.
Ouch. That certainly puts a rut in perspective, doesn’t it?
The quote comes from John C. Maxwell about how to break out of a rut to avoid the slow death of your dreams.
Maxwell’s five steps to get out of a rut include:
- accepting responsibility for your life
- knowing where you want to be
- dividing your dream into manageable parts
- taking action today
- growing into your tomorrow by being intentional about personal growth
All good advice.
I would add one more thing to the equation for ensuring your dreams don’t die. And that is you have to get off autopilot long enough TO EVEN KNOW you’re in a rut.
So often I hear the downside of being on autopilot from clients: I’ve wasted the last year just going through the motions. Gosh, I wish I’d realized sooner I was in a rut.
When autopilot takes hold it can be insidious because it keeps you drifting along without any meaningful focus or direction. It perpetuates itself by keeping you feeling stuck and uninspired.
Think about your life—your relationships, career, health, finances, etc. Where are you on autopilot? Where are you in a rut?
