How to Get Out of a Career Rut

Everyone has a favorite rut or two. They are comfortable, familiar and undemanding. If you stay in them long enough you begin to equate them with who you are and buy in to the belief that remaining steadfastly in them is all you can expect out of life. Career ruts are the routines in our jobs and work that have become uninteresting and bothersome. Use the steps in this article to gather the career information you need to get out of your ruts and into "career grooves".

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Positive mental attitude
• Energy and enthusiasm
• Motivation and effort

1. Create new career habits. Career ruts are places where you get stuck. You do things routinely even if they don't work anymore. While habits are important, they can become ineffective and unmanageable when taken to the extreme. It has been said that it takes 21 days to establish a new habit or eliminate an undesirable one. Choose one new career habit you will try for the next 3 weeks.

2. Move out of your career comfort zones. We all have things that are comfortable to us. When we permanently settle in, these very same comfort zones become ruts. Career comfort zones are created when we are successful at something—a newly acquired skill, talent or achievement. We repeat these successful behaviors again and again and get the same results—they work. Unfortunately, they become ruts when we fail to look at each new situation as an uncharted career opportunity that should be explored on its own merits—not just handled in the same manner we have always used. To move out of your career comfort zones, take a risk and try to do at least one thing differently.

3. Get into a career groove. This involves choosing a career niche where your talent and newly developed career habits merge to create challenging, interesting and rewarding career opportunities.

4. Energize your attitude. When you're in a career groove, your attitude is energizing—not only to you but to those around you as well. This energy is life-giving, refreshing and attractive. People gravitate to you hoping a little of your enthusiasm and positive attitude will rub off on them.

5. Stick with it. There's no giving up or crying uncle in a career groove, and "whiney butts" are not allowed. Stop any complaining and groaning you may be doing about career limitations. Career professionals speak, breathe and walk in an upbeat manner and do not quit when things get tough.

6. Explore new career opportunities. When you're in the career groove, you make a conscious decision to learn something new every day. Cultivate a mindset that looks for career opportunities everywhere, even in the simplest activity.

7. Put your money where your mouth is. People in a career groove don't just talk about all the things they will do some day when money and time are available in large supply. They actually attempt to achieve their heart’s desire by consistently taking little steps to reach their desired outcomes. Additionally they've found a way to stay in a perpetual groove without letting it become a rut.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're currently in a career groove, resist the urge to pat yourself on the back. Instead, evaluate your career groove regularly to make sure it has not quietly turned into a rut.
• Celebrate your accomplishments and prepare to use what you've learned to help others turn their career ruts into grooves.
• Use the resources below to keep your career on track.
• Stop going through the motions. Sometimes we put our behavior and actions on auto-pilot. We just cruise through our careers and lives without giving any thought to what we are trying to achieve.
• The choice is yours and it's not difficult to make. You will have to count the cost and sacrifices associated with getting out of your current career rut, and determine if you are willing to pay the price to move into and remain in a perpetual career groove.

Resources

• 9 Easy Steps to Take Charge & Boost Your Career
• Daily Career Quick Tips
• Find Your Career Sweet Spot