We’ve all felt it. That strange déjà vu sensation; the feeling that you’ve been in the same spot or done the same thing before. It’s almost like an out-of-body or sixth sense experience. This is the same idea behind what people call the ”Groundhog Day Effect” – doing the same thing over and over again for your business and within your life and simply getting nowhere.
Whether it is the same meetings or the same scheduled family time every week, being stuck in a routine can feel comfortable and predictable, but at the same time be restricting your business and personal growth. If you find this is happening to you and your business, you’re not alone. Luckily this can be changed with just a few simple strategies to get out of your Groundhog Day spiral.
To get out of this spiral, you must regain passion – both personally and for your business – and this can be as easy as following these 4 effective tactics.
Start Small
Don’t change every part of your business and your life at one time. It can be overwhelming and can cause more harm than good. For changes in life and business, do a little at a time and slowly. The best way to do this is to think of everything that’s stuck in a rut and write it down in a place you see every day.
Start with either the most meaningful change for your life or your company, or start with the easiest change. As you go along, you may need to make other changes to modify part of your list. Don’t be surprised if you add more to your list as you go along – this will keep you from returning to your Groundhog Day life.
Get Out of the Office
Sometimes just going somewhere new to do your work or grab your morning coffee can refresh your mind. Getting a new literal view can give you a new figurative view of both your professional and personal life. This may be something to do every day, but make it spontaneous! Planned outings become part of the cycle of the Groundhog Day Effect.
Get Uncomfortable
It’s only natural to feel uneasy when facing change in any facet of our lives. To really get out of your rut, you must accept that feeling discomfort is normal and necessary to get back on track. Whether it’s starting to make cold phone calls or applying to participate in an event, you have to get uncomfortable before anything will get better. Once you start doing more and more awkward things, the less nervous you’ll become with the next one.
Find a New Hobby
Or you can pick back up an old one. Being in a rut professionally can be caused by boredom in your personal life. Find something fun that you love to do, and actually do it. Don’t just pick up yoga as a new hobby and only for a week or because you feel like you have to. Do your new hobby because you deserve to have a fun and entertaining life besides running a business. Plus, worries and anxiety tends to be pushed aside while you’re doing something you enjoy.
Step Back and Take Care of Yourself
Taking that step back and focusing on yourself can be hard, but there are may benefits. When you start to focus on self care, you will start to feel better and more centered. It isn’t always easy to turn that focus on ourselves, especially when we always tend to put ourselves dead last in the priority queue.
Have you ever found yourself in a déjà vu or Groundhog Day life? How did you find your way out of your rut? Share your strategies in the comments section below!
