If you want to get out of a rut, stop these 9 behaviors ASAP

Stop doing these things to get out of your rut.

A man with short hair and a beard stands by a window with his hands pressed against the glass. He appears deep in thought or reflection, gazing downwards. The scene outside is blurred, focusing attention on his contemplative expression.

You’re in a rut. You don’t feel excited about anything; you don’t feel like you’re making any progress in life. You want a change that can shake things up a bit and make you feel like you’re moving in the right direction.

So, how can you do that? Say goodbye to these behaviors for starters.

1. Stop making excuses.

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People often get stuck because they convince themselves they lack power. They tell themselves that they cannot do this particular thing because of whatever reason. Reasons might be disappointing someone they love, it’s just beyond their capability, or they are waiting for the stars and planets to perfectly align before doing anything.

The problem with making excuses is that they often become self-fulfilling. A person who believes that they can’t do the thing is probably not going to do the thing. They fail because they either don’t try or don’t put the right kind of energy into trying. They hold back because they are bracing for failure instead of pursuing success as hard as they can.

Stop making excuses. Stop telling yourself why things can’t work and start looking for ways to make them work. It doesn’t have to be perfectly planned out. In fact, it can be better when it’s not because you will undoubtedly hit snags that you couldn’t have anticipated. That’s just life.

2. Stop hiding behind who you think you are.

A man wearing a green shirt leans against a window with a contemplative expression, his right arm resting on the window frame and his forehead leaning on his hand. Soft daylight illuminates the scene through the window, and blurred greenery is visible outside.

This goes along with the first point, but it’s worth talking about limiting beliefs created by your self-perception. The person that you think you are will limit your growth, life, and potential. The labels that you put on yourself have certain preconceived notions that will subconsciously affect you.

Let me give you an example. I personally dislike when someone describes themselves as unartistic, and they don’t even try. It tells me that they don’t understand the artistic process. What they are actually saying is, “I don’t have an inherent artistic talent.” And frankly, talent doesn’t mean a whole lot without the discipline to do the work to develop it. There are plenty of talented people who don’t accomplish anything because they just didn’t do the work. However, some people didn’t start off as talented but create great things because they took the time to learn the processes and practice a lot, which literally anyone can do.

But they don’t, because they aren’t artistic. It’s a limiting belief that is dictating their life to them. I’m not adventurous. I’m not exciting. I’m not smart enough. I’m not capable. I can’t possibly do this.

And you know what? Sometimes that’s true. Sometimes you can’t do a thing. But deciding that without actually trying because of who you think you are is the wrong approach.

So ask yourself: what limiting beliefs are preventing you from living the kind of life that you want?

3. Stop neglecting goals in the areas of life you want to improve.

A woman with dark hair tied back is gazing out of a window, resting her face on her hand. She appears thoughtful and pensive. The photo is taken through the glass, adding a soft, reflective quality to the image.

Goal-setting can help provide you with a sense of progress while working your way out of a rut. After all, a rut feels like you’re stuck in place. Accomplishing goals is a concrete way to show that you are making progress, which helps combat the stuck feeling.

To set good goals, consider using the SMART goal system. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, and Time-bound. By setting SMART goals, you can effectively plot your course toward the major improvement you want to make.

For example, if you want to lose 50 pounds, you may set a SMART goal like:

“I’m going to only eat and drink 1400 calories every day.”

It’s specific. It’s measurable in that you know whether or not you consume 1400 calories in a day. It’s actionable, which means reasonable in this context. It’s relevant in that it is getting you closer to losing those 50 pounds. And it’s time-bound because you’re doing it every day.

That SMART goal will take the person closer to their major goal of losing 50 pounds because calorie counting is one of the most effective ways to lose weight.

4. Stop your bad habits.

A woman in workout attire lounges on a beige sofa with a pink exercise ball. She holds a dumbbell in one hand and a bowl of snacks in the other, while a drink is placed nearby. She appears to be taking a break from exercising.

Habits build a life. People with bad and unhealthy habits are more likely to get stuck in place because of the negative consequences of those habits. For example, a person who doesn’t exercise and eats garbage will gain weight and lack energy. And that’s not including how unhealthy eating and a sedentary lifestyle affect your mental health and well-being.

You will need both the energy and the attitude to take you through the slow times of life. Developing better, healthier habits for your life will provide you the fuel that you need to get through.

5. Stop accepting monotony as something you can’t change.

A man with a beard and a sleeve tattoo leans on a windowsill, looking intently at his smartphone. He is wearing a maroon T-shirt and has his hair tied back. The window frame is old and worn, and there are blurred white lights in the background.

The feeling of being in a rut can often be attributed to routine monotony. One way to combat that feeling is to break up the routine and introduce a little something different in your life.

Something different can be anything from a vacation to changing jobs to just picking up a new hobby. It doesn’t necessarily have to be some major life change, though. You may find that you don’t want a major life change; you just want some additional excitement.

That change can also be something you look forward to while you are trudging through your low. You know you’re going to have a trip coming up in the future, so it’s something you can look forward to and plan for. Maybe it’s picking up that new hobby, where you know you’ll have something fun to do this coming weekend.

And even if you can’t afford to do something major, just an overnight stay in a hotel room in a nearby city can help break the monotonous flow of life. Maybe catch a concert or visit a museum, have some dinner, and take some time to just relax away from your everyday life.

6. Stop saying “no” to everything.

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Do something spontaneous. Take a drive, go out to dinner, grab a friend and go do something without scheduling it all out if you can. Say yes when opportunities come along to do or experience something different.

7. Stop spending all your time indoors.

A man in a hooded plaid shirt and jeans is sitting on a sofa with his legs extended on a wooden table. He is focused intently on a large laptop resting on his lap. Papers are scattered on the table beside him, and the background is a dark, plain wall.

Being outdoors is a well-known way to reduce stress and improve peace of mind. People who spend time in nature benefit from being in the sunshine, getting exercise, and just getting away from this constructed world that so many of us habit.

We move from box to box in our lives: home to the car to the cubicle to the car back home. Everyone should make more time to be out under the wide-open sky to let some freedom into their mind.

8. Stop neglecting your purpose (or finding one).

A woman with medium-length brown hair is sitting on a couch, resting her head on her hand. She appears thoughtful or pensive. She is wearing a blue shirt and light gray cardigan. In the background, there is a blurry bookshelf with books and plants.

A sense of purpose can carry you through some of the darkest times of your life. Luckily, it can also help you through monotonous times. Find something to look forward to. Create some purpose in your life.

The keyword there is “create.” It’s true that some people just randomly find purpose in life through a pure stroke of luck. However, the people who choose to create purpose in their lives tend to get left out of the conversation. They see a thing they want to do, they decide to do it, and they dedicate themselves to doing the thing.

Their choices ultimately bring them closer to doing the thing. And there is the added benefit of the sense of accomplishment that they experience when they are doing their thing or know that they are making a difference.

Pick something you feel strongly about and go make a positive contribution. You don’t have to be inspired or moved to do the thing. It helps, but it’s not necessary.

9. Stop spending time with negative people.

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Connect with other people that can help you see your way out of the rut. That could be anything from a support community to supportive friends and family. There are a lot of online communities that are focused around self-improvement and living a better life.

Minimize your time with people that put you down, hurt you, or encourage you to be complacent. Complacency isn’t going to get you out of a rut if that’s where you find yourself. Sometimes we can find ourselves surrounded by people who are just fine with dwelling in the muck of their life. And then they try to drag you down because your acts of improvement are a reminder to them of what they’re not doing.

Misery loves company. Don’t be that company.