How to Get Out of the Rut in 3 Steps

“It is not uncommon for people to spend their
whole life waiting to start living.” -Eckhart Tolle

If you’re in a rut, totally stuck and looking for a way out, don’t be fooled into thinking that there’s no way out. Giving up is the quickest and fastest way of accepting defeat and drowning yourself in a sea of mental self-sabotage.

As they say in the twelve steps, the first step is awareness so congratulations for noticing it. No matter how hard you’ve tried, or how many books, seminars or DVDs you’ve watched, you haven’t passed the threshold and motivation seems harder to come by these days.

As we’re turning a page now and a new year beckons, it’s time to make changes. Let’s take a look at what’s happening right now in your awareness and make sure we change it for the better. If you’ve struggled to get your business off the ground, where are you stuck and what’s in the way? If you’re not making any passive income with your websites and you really want to make it work now, what has stopped you? If you created a goal last year to quit your 9-5 routine and start your very own online business, why haven’t you done it yet?

Any of this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. If you’re fed up of where you are and you’re finding it hard to find lasting motivation, then let me share with you my thoughts on this process. I’ve been in various kinds of ruts before, stuck and not sure where to go.

Step #1 – Recognise that you are in the way.

The first step is to recognise that you’re in the way.

What’s stopping you from achieving these results is yourself.

It’s time to get radically honest. I like to take time out by getting into an empty, clear space and then allowing whatever thoughts need to enter my head to do so. Usually, I find that these fears and anxieties around achieving the lifestyle, income and business goals enter my head if I’m in the way. On the other hand, if I’m not in my own way, these things never enter my head.

There’s only one person who can change the direction of your results – you. So if you’re not where you are you need to ask yourself why. You have in your control everything you require to make change happen. Are you thinking and acting towards your goals or away from your goals?

Step #2 – Inquire Into Your Fear

The second step is to ask yourself what you are really afraid of. Fear manifests itself in many different ways. Worry, anxiety, not eating, inaction and a whole host of different behaviours. You’ll know when you’re afraid, but will you admit it? Admitting it is the first step to clearing these fears.

In my understanding, fear is just a story that one makes up. If you don’t question the fear and bring it to your awareness, the story will continue to unravel in ways that are unexpected and unwanted. It’ll have control over you unconsciously and you’ll never be able to admit it.

In the past, I have read and studied a lot about fear and self-doubt. Having looked at a lot of different patterns, methods and recovery systems, I still believe that the best way to get over fear is simply to ask yourself, “What’s the worst case scenario that could happen?”

For example, if you’re afraid of public speaking, what’s the worst case scenario? Your audience will get up, throw their bottles of water at you on stage, and leave the room never to come back and speak with you. But is that really going to happen if you prepare, practice and deliver well? I doubt it. So at least it’s not bad if you stumble, miss a few words and get things in the wrong order once during your presentation, right?

Your mind is a magical machine – it can create your dream reality just as fast as it can take it away. It creates every thought and idea – positive or negative. It’s your mind that creates this fear. Decide today to get rid of the fear holding you back from getting started online – because there’s a way, and you’ll find it.

Step #3 – Start with the smallest step possible…

“It is better to take many small steps in the right direction
than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” ~Proverb

I meet people every week who share with me their dreams and aspirations of becoming successful business owners by leveraging the internet to generate more leads, more sales and more revenue. When I meet at least half of these people, a year later they are still in the same position with more excuses than I can count on two hands.

If this has been you, decide that 2012 is no longer going to be the year of excuses. It’s going to be the time when you transform your life by building online income streams. You’re going to do something about it. It’s time to quickly get educated and make it happen. There’s no more messing around and looking for the “right” opportunity. You’re going to take the opportunity and make it “right” for you, instead.

I’ve found that the best way out of a rut is to take the smallest step possible. More often than not, that small step that you take results in more than you realise.

The first step isn’t even to get a task done – it’s simply to announce it. Making a decision and sharing that you’re going to find your niche market. Making a decision and announcing that you’re going to look for an assistant. Making a decision and announcing that you’re going to set up a Facebook ad. Whatever you need to do, just announce it first.

If you’ve not started your business at all, what if that first step is to create a list of your interests that you can research on Google and decide on a niche. If you’ve done this basic research, maybe your smallest step is to just decide on a niche. If you’ve already got your niche, your smallest step might simply be to set up a survey to ask prospects and friends their pressing challenges so you can identify ideas for new products. Maybe your smallest step is to start using Facebook at least once a day. Or to Tweet at least once a day so you can build engagement and community. Perhaps your smallest step is to post a job on Elance so you can hire your first assistant.

The first smallest step is simply to announce it. Announcing it is really, really easy. Doing it is much harder, but once you’ve announced it there’s no going back. You have momentum. I write every day in my journal the six key things I need to complete on the following day. I’ve announced it.

Take the easiest step you can imagine, and announce it. It’s time to make 2012 bigger, better and our most successful year yet. Let’s transform our life, one small step at a time.

Go ahead, join me… announce your smallest step by leaving a comment below…

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