Too many of us are in cruise control when it comes to going through the motions of our lives. You can also think of this as autopilot if you prefer airplanes over automobiles. Regardless of the vessel, the fact remains that it is in motion, but not with purposeful guidance by the leader. In your life, you are the leader/driver/pilot. When we choose to go about our day habitually, without conscious effort we tend to grow stagnant very quickly. Stagnancy should never be our goal. To grow stagnant kills the life energy out of our body. This is not what we should be striving for. So why then do so many of us go about our days in cruise control? Day in and day out we carry out the same routine. Having a set schedule that you follow is not always a bad thing because it offers consistency and a sense of security. It feels safe. However, this mundane way of living starts to kill us off without us even realizing it. We start to feel down and unchallenged. Life becomes a bit boring. Sure, it might be busy, but it’s also boring. You aren’t growing mentally, spiritually, nor emotionally in the routine of boring. People need both, a sense of safety in being able to predict what comes next in their day, as well as a bit of challenge. They require their minds to be stretched and strengthened. We need, now more than ever, to connect with our inner and outer selves for true enlightenment and growth.
Quiet the repetitive thoughts in your mind by undertaking active learning to reengage your brain. Expanding our knowledge base is always a safe way to start. You can listen to others who teach something that is of interest to you. Mentors and motivational people who have been there, done that. Listen to stories of people who have overcome not only stagnancy, but various obstacles in their life. There are many amazing living beings on this planet to learn from. Maybe you like animals better than humans! That’s ok too. Watch and learn about all the ways in which animals live and thrive on this planet. It’s incredible! The bottom line is that we can pull ourselves out of stagnant mindsets by allowing ourselves to learn new things. Learning can be done in a class, online, traveling, or 1-to-1. There are so many different ways to learn nowadays. Get a book from the library, take a trip to another country, take an online course, watch a YouTube video, podcasts, webcasts, or attend the more traditional classroom style of learning. Whatever format of learning you choose does not matter, what is relevant is that you purposely advance your knowledge and prevent your mind from becoming stagnant.
People who have fallen into the rut of stagnancy often feel depressed, lethargic, sluggish, foggy, immobile, stuck, and empty. There’s a great big void. It is very easy to fall into the quicksand of victim mentality. Getting out of this rut can be done slowly and fairly easily. A simple starting point is with each and every one of our senses. What we see in the mirror, what we listen to daily, the things we taste when we eat, thoughts that we replay in our head, the smells we encounter, and the physical touches we receive each day are areas in which we can help eradicate stagnancy.
When we get ready in the morning to face the day, we usually go through the same habitual steps. For me, I reluctantly get out of bed, slowly make my way to the bathroom, go to the toilet to pee, and then take a shower. Even my steps in the shower are a routine. I stretch under the warm water to get my achy muscles loosened, wash my body with soap, then get my hair cleaned with shampoo and conditioner, and finally do any final rinsing before calling it (my shower) good. I have recently spiced up my routine in the shower by cooling the water as I go along. For example, I start out in a nice warm shower, and as I get to the point of washing my body, I turn the water to a cooler temperature. I dial down the water temperature yet again when I start to shampoo my hair. By the time I am ready to do my final rinsing, I am in a cold shower. I get out totally invigorated and ready to face the day. You might try cooling the water of your bath or shower a few days a week to break your own bathing habits a bit.
Even our wardrobes can be stagnant. We tend to buy the same colors or styles of shoes and clothing. Adding a new color to your wardrobe or buying a new style of shirt/slacks/shoes can spruce you up a bit too. Who doesn’t like to rock a new outfit that they recently bought?! Most of us look forward to wearing a new item that we just got as a gift or bought for ourselves. Jewelry can also help us break some of the same old, same old style. We can go buy a piece of jewelry to wear with our usual outfit. Almost any new fashion item can break us out of our stagnant style.
For the ladies, adding a new shade of makeup to their face or nails can liven them up. For the fellas, how about adding a touch of that new cologne that you got as a gift? Perfume for the gals. New shades of makeup liven us up visually and new scents tantalize our sense of smell. We can invigorate our senses in order to bust out of stagnancy.
There are so many ways that we can liven ourselves up physically. Losing some weight, strengthening or toning our muscles, lasering or shaving our body hairs, coloring our hair, and going for that relaxing massage all help to invigorate us physically. There is a strong correlation between self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-image. When we feel good about our physical state, we mentally elevate ourselves out of lower-level ruts of thought. Feeling like a million bucks, that sensation is priceless!
A bland food dish normally does not intrigue our taste buds. When we add in just the right touch of spices, seasonings, sweeteners, and/or salts the dish can become quite delicious. We can’t wait to take the next bite! Our sense of taste comes alive and triggers a wonderful cascade of reactions within us. For me, taking a bite of smooth strawberry cheesecake takes me to another world! My insides sing with joy. Of course, I can’t eat cheesecake every day because I would get tired of it quite quickly and would most likely start to gain lots of needless weight. However, having the euphoric feeling that comes with eating a piece of cheesecake at an annual party won’t hurt me. You pick your favorite treat and be sure to eat that on a rare occasion to bring your taste buds to life.
Imagine we get to work, sit down in our space, and sigh because here we are again…same old workplace. Maybe we haven’t challenged ourselves to take on new projects. We blame others for not advancing us to the next level, where we feel we should be. Perhaps we dislike our boss or other work colleagues. Whatever the situation is, here we sit in our space disenchanted. A stagnant career is a key ingredient for unhappiness. It’s time to make a change. Time to do some spring cleaning, and this means cleaning up the factor of your job. Make a list of all the things that you dislike about your job. This list will most likely be extensive. Then next to each line item, write it’s opposite. What it is that you want this line to be (your desired outcome). Once you have a list of what you DO want from your job, then dig deeper to evaluate whether these items are even feasible to change at your current place of employment. If you are unable to get what you desire by changing negative aspects in your current job, then it’s time to buckle down and start looking for a new gig. Life is fleeting, and change is inevitable. So don’t waste anymore of your precious life/time being stagnant at a job.
Progress is the key to contentment. I advise going on a job search site and taking a look at what is currently available. It won’t hurt to look. It doesn’t mean that you will apply. It doesn’t mean that you will quit your current job. It simply means that you are taking one small step to seeing what other opportunities are out there for you. If you don’t find anything, then maybe you’ll appreciate your current job more. If you do happen to find an opportunity that intrigues you, then you should apply for it. Just because you apply for it doesn’t mean that you will leave your current job. It just means that you made yourself a priority and are attempting to elevate yourself to the next level in terms of your career. You are making progress! If you happen to get called in for an interview at the new company, I suggest that you find a way to make it to that interview. This will strengthen you in so many ways! Should there be “a good fit” between you and this new company, then you will be better armed to make a decision as to whether to stay in your old job or take on this new role. The answer will be crystal clear to you. Your gut will tell you what’s the right path to take.
In terms of relationships, well this is yet another area in our lives that can grow stagnant. Relationships can be complicated for all sorts of reasons. Similar to the job situation, when we find ourselves in a stagnant relationship, we must ask ourselves if the negative aspects of the relationship can be “fixed” or changed. If not, then we may need to evaluate whether we should stay or leave the relationship. Taking a break from a relationship is not always a bad thing. If you are in a happy relationship that has grown stagnant, then find small ways that you can start to breathe life back into it. Start with the five senses: Spend time with your partner at a comedy show for a good laugh (laughter heals the soul), have a nice meal at a restaurant that neither of you have ever been to before (novel experience), cook a meal together using a recipe that you haven’t tried (taste target), surprise them with a small nice gift of perfume/cologne (scent spark), hug them tight for no reason and tell them that you adore them (we all like to hear kind words), etc. The two of you know each other best, so make it small yet meaningful. Put grievances aside for a day or two and do something different just to add back a spark. When we are in better spirits, dealing with issues comes a little easier and becomes lighter.
I invite you to bloom and grow like a plant, instead of putting yourself on autopilot and going about your day-to-day activities. Be sure to pull your life out of autopilot or cruise control. Stretch your capabilities, advance your knowledge, and strengthen your physical self. You can also deepen the core of your emotional being. Start small and radiate out, like reviving all of your senses with something new. Maybe take on a painting class or yoga session. Perhaps you and a friend can go on a mini vacation to a location that you’ve never been to before. You could also get food from a restaurant that you’ve never visited and order a new dish. It’s amazing how small steps, like these, when taken can add vitality back into a dormant life. This may have profound effects on you. Like adding water to a wilting plant, the promise of life suddenly takes hold, and the plant comes alive to thrive again. Revive your passion for life by taking small steps (and maybe bigger ones later on) of progress toward growth.