Originally, I just shared this little idea that emerged today with a small circle of creative friends, but then realized it was widely relatable and probably fit well alongside some of the other things I recently talked about here.
As I’m sure most people do, I’ve struggled a heck of a lot with falling behind where I wanted to be with all my creative (and non-creative) projects and in sorting through endless, circling thoughts. Finally, this morning, I made a list of Wishes & Hangups, or, in other words, what I really want to be doing right now and what is blocking me.
In a few examples, but not most, I came up with possible solutions to some problems. Then I thought through how I could turn those into some bite sized next logical steps. So from wishes, to hangups, to actionable items. As a result, one of them is already complete and I can move to the next action planned. Eventually, I should have some momentum going and will be able to tackle deeper layers of challenge until I start to slowly get back on my preferred track.
Nothing I describe here is terribly original or ground breaking, but it’s quite valuable to me to find a way to leverage myself out of a rut. When I was trapped in my hazy thinking and it was difficult to see a way out or forward, I made a special effort to simply lay out all the known good and bad for every situation that came to mind. It helped me set aside some of the emotion or at least direct that emotion into clear statements that could be dealt with.
I’m not writing this from on top of the world and with all wheels on the road. I’m still a mess and it’s still easy to feel down about things, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel and I’m moving toward it. Some days, that’s enough.
Have you done something similar to escape a rut? What approach have you successfully taken to get yourself back on track with your own endeavors in personal or professional life?