Getting Out of the Rut... Initiating and Managing Change

---

Have you ever accomplished something, then wondered where to go next? Or,perhaps you've accomplished something and just continued down that same pathbecause it worked.
Many people become stuck in this... Have you ever accomplished something, then wondered where to go next? Or,perhaps you've accomplished something and just continued down that same pathbecause it worked.
Many people become stuck in this way because of the"security of sameness." You can get stuck from problems as well astriumphs.I have to say that my life has been a most interesting set of twists andturns, but I've always had the opportunity to maintain a little bit ofcontrol. The control I kept, however, was not over my environment or mydirection, but on me and how I handled or initiated change.You realize when you get stuck and that you devise a plan to moveforward---it all depends on how you manage and initiate your own change.--- Planning Out Your Life ---I hear so many people say that you cannot plan your life, "you just let ithappen." So, what happens while you're sitting there waiting for life tohappen? But, if you plan your life too rigidly, what experiences will youmiss out on?You really can't plan your life right up to the end, nor can you plan it outfive years and expect it to work as you expect.
I know that sounds bad, butplanning your life and expecting to stick to it will only limit your optionsand keep you in one place all the time.Realize that, as you experience change and enjoy life, you grow. Growthspawns new ideas, feelings, and intellect that change your point of view.As your point of view changes, so do your directions and options in life.You must be willing to change your life's plan as you grow so that you cantake on more challenging things and be accepting of other new experiences.As I write, I think of some of the things I've done in my life.
I onceworked for a major corporation and wanted to be in management. But, once Igot there, what was next? Nothing.
I didn't realize that I forgot to thinkabout what happened next and I didn't know that once I got there---"there"was not where I wanted to be anymore.The point is that you cannot plan your life in an absolute manner or you'lleither miss out on new experiences or end up in a place you no longer wantto be. You must learn to adapt and change your plan after each step of yourpath.
As you achieve each new goal, you grow, taking you one step further.--- Geometry of Life ---Sameness is security for many. You wake up, go to work, go to the store,take care of the kids, change the oil in the car---what else is there? Ifyou notice, the sameness you experience is in the form of a geometricshape---line, square, circle, rectangle, or triangle.
Take note of thethings you do during your day and determine the shape of the consistentpaths you take.For instance, when I worked in downtown Denver and lived south of town, mypath was a straight line. I lived at the end of Broadway, 14 miles fromtown.
I drove down Broadway to my office, which was located in a buildingon Broadway itself. All of my stores, friends, and family were within oneblock on either side of Broadway.
This became so monotonous that I coulddrive to work in a daze and still get there safely. Sound familiar?The easiest way to break out of this shape is to change your path fromtime-to-time.
I'm not specifically referring to your path to and from work.I'm speaking of any path that seems to have etched itself into yourexistence---you create a "rut" in your virtual road from travelling the samepath too often. For instance, instead of going down Broadway, I should'vetaken the freeway and made a square, then changed it later to some othershape.At first, even small changes will take a lot of effort, but the one thingyou'll begin to notice is that you're indirectly changing other things aswell.
This is what you want to do!Once you "break out of your shape" you have to figure out what it is thatyou want out of life. Don't go material, go more for fulfillment asmaterial things are only a reward for accomplishments.
Also, beingemotional beings, satisfying a feeling or desire is a fulfilling reward initself---it makes us feel whole.--- Making a Plan ---To help you stay out of your rut, you must make a plan that takes intoaccount the many things you want to do in life that fulfill you. Theoverall plan consists of your Mission, your Vision, and your Goals.
Each ofthese items identifies what you want, where you're going, and how to getthere.* Defining Your ObjectivesRealize that, just because you want to do something, there is a reason youwant to do that thing (i.e., fulfillment, acceptance, and education.) Sinceyou're probably not sure why you want to do these things, you might want todo a dozen or so things with each providing the same fulfillment---thisleads to clutter and confusion.To resolve this situation, write down all of the different objectives youhave in your life. Make them action phrases like "writing a book" or"driving across the country." Make the list as long or as short as youlike.Once you're done, next to each item, write the specific fulfillment to beachieved next to each item.
Make each word an adjective or each phrasedescriptive of something tangible. For instance, "writing a book" mightprovide "fame and fortune" while "driving across the country" might provide"freedom." Once you've finished classifying your objectives, you'll findthat most of them duplicate the fulfillment achieved and others have noreason at all.
This is where a lot of people run into a problem! You havea million things to do, no time to do any of them, and your inner need is tofeel the fulfillment.To resolve this, group the items in separate lists by the fulfillment youdescribe and eliminate those items that have no reason. From each new list,figure out the tasks that will give you the greatest feeling of satisfactionand fulfillment.
From this final list, you have your primary objectives toaccomplish---all others are secondary and should not be focused upon untilyou've finished your primary objectives.* Your Mission, Vision, and GoalsOnce you've figure out your primary objectives, you must now figure out howto get there. This is not an easy task and it might take a few days to cutthrough the fog that has settled in your mind.The Vision is a view of things in the future---where you see yourself.
Itis the tangible item that you chase to feel the fulfillment you seek.Realize that your Vision will change many times over your life, but eachredefinition gives you a clearer view of where you want to go based on yourgrowth.The Mission is a statement that defines what you will do to reach yourVision---the action that you perform to reach your Vision. As your Visionchanges, so must your Mission because your direction will change as well.Goals are important in that they add direction and purpose to life.
Theydefine the intermediate steps involved in accomplishing your Mission. Theseare selected items from your objectives that must be achieved to build thepath of your Mission.
As each Goal is accomplished, you are that muchcloser to your Vision.--- Executing the Plan ---Once you've defined your Goals, you can begin defining and executing yourplan of action. For each Goal, you must define the steps required to reachthem.
For instance, one of my past Visions was to "work at home as awriter." My Mission was to do "technical writing and work in other writingarenas to enhance my talent and my exposure." Some of my Goals to reach theinitial Vision were:- Locate three writing contracts.- Work to generate income for six months of unemployment.- Locate insurance.- Quit day job.For each Goal, I defined a set of smaller steps or actions that helped meaccomplish the Goal. For instance, my plan of action for "Locate threewriting contracts" was:- Assemble my writing samples.- Rebuild Web site to advertise my work.- Rewrite resume to reflect direction for software documentation.- Talk to local recruiters about opportunities.- Visit sites for telecommuting opportunities on a weekly basis.- ...Obviously, you must be careful when defining your Goals and plan of actionso that you perform the steps in the proper order.
If you define your stepsin such a way that you end up in a deadlock, then your entire plan isuseless. Make sure that you organize your Goals and your plan of actionsuch that each step builds on the previous.--- What's next? ---Don't feel that this process is over after you do it the first time.Realize that you will grow as you accomplish your Goals toward your Vision.As you grow, your Vision will change and so must you change your Mission andGoals.This is an iterative process that forces you to reevaluate your direction asyou accomplish each Goal in your path.
Not only will this reevaluation andreassessment of your direction help you stay out of the consistent geometricshapes that put you in a rut, but it will keep your life moving forward togreater fulfillment in the things that really make a difference for you. Article Tags: Primary Objectives, Each Goal Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .