This year is in full swing and it’s just about that time we might all start feeling a little…you know… blah. You know what I mean? Like seriously… just stuck in a routine, stuck in the same place doing the same old stuff… complacency at its best.
I don’t know about you but I definitely think it’s time to kick it up a notch (anyone remember Emerald Lagassi? Ah! I loved him!). But seriously, the monotony of life has really gotten to me and I just can’t sit here anymore doing these boring day to day tasks literally watching people pass me by…. You get me?
So if you’re feeling like this too… because yes it happens to all of us at some point in the year, it’s really time we get out of this rut and inject some fun and adventure back into our lives! Let’s do this!
*First Things First!
The first thing you’re actually going to want to do (and yes I’ve definitely done this) is really figure out how you’re feeling with where you are in your life. This could mean your home life, your job, your daily activities, etc.
This doesn’t have to be too extreme though so don’t feel as if you have to make a complete overhaul. Just sit for a bit with yourself and really evaluate the things that are bringing you happiness and excitement and what is just there because it’s comfortable.
Once you do that, we’ll know how to strategize our plan of attack.
Let me give you a little example, for me it was my job. I love my job, I love my staff, I love everything about what I’ve built and if you don’t know… I run a preschool. The overall business and growth of it brings me so much joy and happiness. But you know what wasn’t? … sitting there day after day in the office, watching my teachers do their thing in the classroom while I checked emails… for hours on end. Yep…emails, putting out fires like an overflowing toilet, cleaning windows, walking around just to see what else I can find to review and redo. It was going to be the end of me for sure. I felt it.
Oh my goodness was I ready to buy a one way ticket somewhere! But of course… that’s not the mature answer. But you know what was? Really looking at the tasks that needed me on site, what could and should be delegated to someone else, and what I could manage (this would turn out to be almost everything) remotely.
And do you know what came out of that? This blog, which I only write when I’m feeling inspired and only if it makes me happy and brings me joy… and some expansion work! Like serious expansion work. I’m not kidding.
That’s right, after years, and I literally mean years and years of sitting here and having these ideas in my head, it’s finally time for preschool location 2 (maybe 3 and 4 in the future!!). And it’s brought me the most joy I’ve felt in sooooooo long. I feel like my life and my career has energy again, I’m doing something with a purpose! I am not sitting there for 9hrs a day looking at emails that have not even come in yet or waiting for the light bulb to go out or the DOH to review paperwork.
And you know what else? When I finally decided enough is enough, I worked with my team to delegate more responsibilities and trained them to manage these tasks that really had no business being on my desk in the first place. Again, almost everything that I do can, for the most part, be done remotely. And because of that and the new systems I setup with my staff, my boyfriend and I were able to maintain a new vacation rental, which I’ve been flying back and forth to for the past six months!
What I’m saying is…really look at your life. I don’t care if you’ve only felt it this year, or if you’ve had this feeling for 4 or 5 years like me, but this is your sign to do something about it. Evaluate your areas, really really look into them, and get moving from there.
*Your Way Out
Hopefully now you’ve done a pretty good life edit about what’s really making you feel vibrant. Because yes, being stuck in a rut is not making us feel excited or adventurous in our life. It’s making us feel stuck. So the first step is identifying that some things need to be switched up.
If you still need some help, use these question as a jumping off point:
What makes you happy?
What do you want?
What do you dream of?
Likewise…..
What turns you off?
What daily tasks aggravate you?
What are you done with?
Also refer to our best friend google in inspiring some of these questions too! Honestly you can find everything online now so use it to your advantage.
Next, once you’ve identified what is really making you feel blah (yep, I’m using that as a true emotion now) you have to decide on what’s going to make you perk back up. You need to decide on what’s going to bring that zest back in your life! That’s where those questions from before will help you with too. Identify what you want your life or maybe this specific area of your life to feel like and how can you get it there.
Then you’re ready for the task analysis. This is something I used to do every day back when I was an ABA therapist with my students. Break down your goal into what you think are feasible tasks. But, this is important, do not make them so easy that you’re not really pushing yourself. You really want to take this opportunity to start moving towards that new stage of happiness.
Again the reason you would even be in a rut is because its lazy complacency makes us all feel comfortable. To reach that new place, that new goal you’ve set out for yourself, you need to push yourself a bit.
So break it down into smaller steps that feel attainable but still makes you push yourself. Nothing new feels comfortable, but by building towards it just a little bit every day, we start building the confidence in ourselves to know we can get there.
*Learn by Example: What I Did…
Sample Step 1
So let’s look back at my personal example… yes I’m embarrassed to see and say it took me years!!! And honestly I think I complained soooo much, my poor boyfriend :(. But when it finally felt like all was coming to a head, I worked with my staff. I had meetings on meetings, discussed and trained, and ultimately worked on moving their positions covering this area and that. Surprisingly, that only took a few months and they’ve felt so good and so empowered about it!! And here I am thinking, wow, I wasted all that time when everyone else was so ready for this.
Sample Step 2
The next was creating a plan of development for what I wanted my next year to look like. Of course I do this every year with my goal setting but this was different. This was a big change that was happening and I’m going to make it happen regardless of circumstances! We’re doing this!
Sample Step 3
I also had a back up plan ready. In case things were not going my way, I still planned on working half remotely for the following 6 months so I could travel with my partner, my boyfriend. I literally could not sit at that desk anymore. If it wasn’t going to be a new work project bringing me away then it was going to be something else that lit me up. Travel makes me feel good, makes me feel adventurous, and definitely excites me more than sitting behind a desk watching the emails roll in or the doorbell ring you know? I was changing it up one way or another.
I would also like to really quickly reiterate, this rut, my rut, was not about my school. Like I said in the beginning.. its been the most amazing and beautiful thing to watch it grow and see how it impacts everyone within it. What I am specifically referring to is the mundane tasks that I felt tied me to a chair who’s tasks were truly laughable. And I can blame no one for that except myself. I could have made these changes years ago. And that’s why I’m telling you. DO IT NOW.
Sample Step 4
Get an accountability partner. I know I know, everyone says something like this but it’s honestly true. For any goal you have, it’s much easier to work on it and get better if you have a support system in place. For me that’s my family, my boyfriend, and my staff who were all tired of my complaining and venting. They were there for me for every single step of my way and honestly have been waiting for me to make these changes just as long as I’ve been. They mean the world to me, they tell me daily how proud they are of me, and my staff laughs when I come in for longer stints now because they know and I know they got this.
Get that support system in place. Get that person who is going to remind you to keep pushing. That person who will listen if it gets hard but reminds you it’s going to get better and that you’re doing this for the right thing.
Sample Step 5
Do not stop planning and prepping, seriously. It may seem that once you’ve got everything organized it’s all figured out. This could not be more wrong! So many things will be thrown in your way to make you think it’s not going to work. Things that will divert you from your original path. You need to take these things in stride and revise your strategy to work around them. Do not let these small or big distractions get in the way of what you are trying to achieve. I’m telling you, in the end you’ll only be filled with regret.
So continue planning and prepping! Plan for the distractions and plan strategies for how to beat them. You got this!
Sample Step 6
Lastly, once you’re there..once you’ve made the change, changed the job, improved your lifestyle, got the “thing”… keep going. What I mean by this is that life should be ever evolving. It should include everything you want and that’s going to change as we go through it, and it should. But it’s so so easy to slip back into a rut of a routine that keeps us lazy living. Don’t let that happen to you. Keep your goals exciting and keep reaching for the unexpected. The adventure is always awaiting.
*Summary
Alright lovelies! I hope this was truly truly helpful for all of you. I definitely got a bit more personal in this one than just my straightforward tips and tricks posts. But I didn’t think it’d be fair to share this without you knowing how far I’ve come and honestly all my goals and ambitions for the future. I said all this to show you that it is possible, even after years of waiting.
And no, of course your changes or upgrades do not have to be as drastic as mine at all. They could be smaller and if they are then you have even less excuses not to get it done. But the point is is that we all have one life, don’t live yours in a complacent rut. We can all do this thang called life!
And as always, If you have any questions, comments, or ideas please share them in the comments section below with your fellow parents! And definitely subscribe to the newsletter for updates and ongoing happenings at TylekTeaches.com. The subscription link is just at the bottom of this post.
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