We’ve all had those days, weeks, or months, where we’ve felt disorganized and off track. This is totally normally, and we all experience it at one point or another. (Trust me!)
But just like anything in life, it doesn’t matter how many times you fall off, it’s about how many times you get back up.
To help you on your journey, we’re covering 7 simple steps to get your life back on track when you’re feeling stuck and demotivated.
How to get your life back on track when you’re feeling stuck
1. Let go of the guilt
Step 1 is to let go of any and all guilt you’re carrying with you for falling off track in the first place. We don’t need added pressure of feeling bad that we’re off our routine or not feeling our best at the moment. No one is on 24/7, 365 days; we all have times in our lives when our goals slip up. (In fact, that’s probably a sign you need a break). Sometimes we need these times to detach ourselves from what we’re laser focused on.
These moments are part of the natural ebbs and flows in life, so let it happen. Let go of the guilt, don’t put additional stress on yourself, and let the flows of getting your life back on track come organically.
2. Create a life map
Another tip when getting your life back on track, is to create a life map. This means visualizing where you are today and where you want to be.
Sometimes we need to set goals and have a focus on where we want to head, or we need to refresh our goals to ensure they’re still aligned with where we are in the present day.
When creating your life map, consider asking yourself the following questions:
- What is ‘current me’ like?
- What do I want ‘future me’ to be like?
- What things do I do today that I want to stop doing?
- What are 3 things I want to focus on in the future?
- Where do I see myself in 5 years?
- Where do I see myself in 1 year?
- Where do I see myself in 90 days?
Questions like this help us understand if what we’re doing in our day-to-day life align to where we ultimately want to be – so doing a life audit and creating a refreshed life map can help you get back on track.
3. Acknowledge your obstacles
We all encounter obstacles that deter us from getting to where we want to be – the key is to identify these and find a way to overcome them (which we’ll get into in the next step). But for now, start by acknowledging what key obstacles are getting in your way.
For example, have you noticed your motivation has plummeted at work because you really don’t enjoy your role? Do you feel like your daily commute is taking over 5 hours a day, leaving you with no time to focus on your health and wellness? Are you carrying limiting beliefs with you about what you believe you should be doing versus what you feel you’re capable of doing? Perhaps you went out one too many times this month and the next day hangover has stopped you from focusing on your fitness goals on the weekend.
Grab a piece of paper and write down what things are getting in your way and pulling you off track.
4. Find your fix
Once you’ve identified these obstacles, your next step is to find a fix.
If things are getting in your way, they will continue to get in your way until you choose to do something about it. Life will constantly present us obstacles, the key is to find a solution.
Let’s say for example, one of the obstacles you’ve identified is that no matter how hard you try, waking up early and working out first thing in the morning just isn’t your thing. That may mean you decide to shift your workouts to the evening, or you might try going to bed earlier each night to ease the struggle of a morning wake up.
If you feel like your social calendar is getting in the way, maybe you’ll decide to limit how often you go out, so you can focus on the things that are most important to you.
Your fix is going to depend on you, your preferences, and your life goals. Be sure to find a solution that aligns with who you are and where you want to be headed.
Using the list of obstacles you wrote down in step 3, add another column and write down a fix beside each obstacle.
5. Refresh or create your system
Sometimes getting our lives back on track also means creating or refreshing our systems. This could include everything from our routines, our daily habits, and general blueprints we follow in our day-to-day life.
A system is a set of practices or routine we craft together that brings us one step closer to our goals everyday. After all, it is the small things we do everyday that line up to a bigger outcome.
For example, let’s say you’ve been feeling miserable at work and it’s been a goal of yours to get a new job. You feel overwhelmed about the thought of it, so you shut down, feel stuck, and that goal of a new job seems far from unattainable. A way to get yourself “unstuck” in this case, would be to create a system that gets closer to that goal.
In this case, your system might look like this:
- Monday to Friday after dinner, I’m going to research new job openings from 7pm-8pm
This simple system is enough for you to ensure your actions line up with what you ultimately want, keeping you on track day over day.
Another example might be that you want to start living a healthier lifestyle. Your system in this case might look like this:
- Everyday during my lunch break I’m going to take a 20 minute walk
- While I take my walk, I’m going to listen to a podcast on mental health and reducing stress
These systems help us define habits, bringing us closer to where we ultimately want to be.
6. Take action to get your life back on track
If you’re in a rut, sometimes the smallest action can help us build momentum to do more.
Days that you’re feeling sluggish, low energy, and completely off track, don’t overwhelm yourself by assigning a long task of to-do’s you need to complete by the end of the day.
Instead, start small.
Pick one little thing you can do that will make you feel accomplished — but that doesn’t take a ton of energy.
This could be making your bed, doing a load of laundry, replying to a few emails, etc. This will differ from person to person so be sure to figure out the quick wins that work for you. And that brings us to our last and final step…
7. Make a list of quick wins for future
It’s inevitable that we will all run into those low motivation days time and time again in the future. To prep yourself for the next time you’re feeling stuck, make a list of “quick wins” that you know will put you in a positive state of thinking for the future.
Refer to this list next time you’re feeling low energy, and pick what thing will help you boost your mood.
A few examples of this could be:
- do a load of laundry
- clean room
- clean desk space
- listen to a podcast
- go for a walk
- do 100 jumping jacks
- listen to upbeat music
- call a friend / family member
- read a motivational book
- watch a Ted Talk
Find the things that make your heart sing and do it! You’ll feel super motivated to get things back on track once you do.
Read more:
- How to Create a Morning Routine You’ll Actually Stick To
- 10 Daily Habits to Improve Your Life Right Now
- 5 Habits That Are Making You Unproductive
Stay connected!
