Seven Keys to Get Out of a Rut


Rut -- a routine procedure, situation, or way of life that has become uninteresting and tiresome... And not surprisingly, unprofitable.

They say a rut is a shallow grave with two open ends. The good news (good news?!) is that the ends ARE still open, which means if you act fast, you just might out of it. How do we get into these ruts anyway? Who would voluntarily lie down in that grave, shallow or otherwise?

Dr. Edward Debono suggests that thoughts are pathways literally "etched" in our brain as electrical connections that get strengthened each time we think them -- thus limiting our mental options. Just like cow paths. It all begins when one of the cows wanders home from the field along a new path. Being cows, others naturally follow, nicely beating down the grass. The next evening our intrepid cow is a bit less bold, and follows her own freshly trampled path, fellow cows in lockstep behind her. And so on, night after night, widening the path into a footpath, which over time becomes hardened into a dirt road.

More time passes and the road is paved into a street, then an avenue, a two-lane highway, and ultimately an interstate. By the time you come roaring up the onramp in your shiny SUV, your direction is all mapped out in front of you. There's no way to turn, and no where to go but towards the next exit.

If you want to chart a fresh direction you are going to have to grab the steering wheel and give it a hard, gut-wrenching yank to the right. And so it is with your thoughts and actions. Repeating them a few times all but insures you will comfortably repeat them indefinitely unless you take deliberate - possibly disruptive -- action to do otherwise.

Here are 7 rut busters I use with my business coaching clients that you can apply immediately to get yourself and your business out of a rut.

  • Shift your mindset from self to customer. Most business people think of themselves first. They craft product and service offers from their own perspective and consider themselves the beneficiaries of their actions.

    While that's not wrong, to get out of your rut do this: put yourself into the mind of your customer. Who are these people anyway? What are they concerned about? What are they trying to accomplish?

    If you were your customer, what would you think of that new product, marketing campaign, or mail piece? Are you selling your wonderful "stuff", or are you providing them tangible, meaningful benefits. Ask, "If I were the customer, would I care?" And if not, consider, "What WOULD I get excited about?"

  • Shift your mindset from customer to client. A customer is someone who buys your goods or services. The original meaning of client is entirely different: someone who is under your care and protection.

    Now that's a switch, isn't it? If they're customers, your goal is to get them to buy something. But if you were to think of them as under your care - would you approach your business from another angle? How would you take care of them? How would you "protect" them? What new programs would you want to implement immediately?

  • Revisit your vision. Whenever I feel like I'm in a rut I return to my vision and I do 2 things. First, I make sure it still inspires me and that it is pointing me in the direction I want to go. Once sure, I put pen to paper and rewrite it. Not just once, but over and over. And I keep writing until I can't write it anymore because I'm jumping up and down with a new idea I must do something about right away.
  • Conduct a Survey If you don't know what to do next, ask your clients. (They are clients, aren't they?) Conduct a survey about anything that interests you. Ask them what's bothering them. Ask them what they're stuck on. Ask them what they like about your company and what they'd like you to do next. Ask them about new features, or new products, or new services.

    If you're not happy with your current customers, conduct a survey among the kind of people you'd like to have as customers. And, if you can't do that, conduct a survey online. Write an attractive search engine ad, promise something of value, and drive people to a survey page. Ask them anything you like - the answers will almost always provide you with a neat mind-shift.

  • Focus on building your strengths and dump your weaknesses. From the time we are little children we are taught to better ourselves by working on our weaknesses. This is often both frustrating and fruitless, and certainly not as much fun as practicing our strengths.

    Try this on: What if you focused 100 percent of your energy on being world-class in those few things at which you are already very good, and out-tasked or outsourced those things at which you were mediocre. Imagine if you never had to face any of those things again and could spend all your time doing the good stuff. Would that change the way you felt about your business? Would that bust you out of your rut?

  • Not if, but how. Think of that wild and crazy idea you had recently. The one where you said to yourself, "That would be great, but there's just no way." Well, I know there's no way - you just said so -- but if there was a way, what would it be? Answer that question as if you believed it was possible - probable even -- and then get busy making it real. That's power, you know -- turning your vision into reality. Talk about a breakthrough!
  • What are you willing to sacrifice? Some important things are more important than other important things, and trying to keep all those plates spinning in the air saps your vigor for the ones that truly matter. Dissipated energy - lethargy -- is one of the reasons we lie down in that rut in the first place, and dropping a few of those plates can really help things break loose.
  • So let go. Make the sacrifice. Clear your plate and give up some of those precious things you've been holding on to. Focus your vitality on plans which will really rock your world. Ruts? Who needs 'em.

    ? Paul Lemberg. All rights reserved

    Paul Lemberg's clients call him "the unreasonable business coach" because he insists they pursue goals and take actions far outside their comfort zone to make more money than they previously thought possible. To get business coaching tips, tools and strategies like these, visit business coaching

    shuttle from O'Hare Bingham .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
    In The News:

    Attackers use caller ID spoofing and AI voices to steal money. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson provides seven ways to protect yourself.
    Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about the Genesis GV60 MIV, an electric rescue EV with snow tracks for extreme missions.
    Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you ensure a smooth online experience with a reliable, secure home network setup.
    Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about Vollebak’s Shielding Suit, which blocks EM radiation, infrared and tracking for privacy.
    Even Apple products are vulnerable to cybercriminals, and a new report suggests the owners of Mac products will have to be more vigilant this year.
    An inflatable six-person tiny house from a firm called 2001 looks like a space station with its inflatable dome that is transportable and eco-friendly.
    Scams cost Americans an estimated $159 billion every year and average about $3,500 in losses per victim. The CyberGuy has advice to protect yourself.
    Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents
    Zeekr and Waymo are joining forces for the world's first mass-produced autonomous vehicle, combining an electric vehicle with self-driving technology.
    A humanoid robot training center has opened in Shanghai, a big step in China's efforts to become a global leader in robotics and artificial intelligence.
    Security experts have discovered that hackers are targeting apps on the App Store to spread malware that steals information from saved screenshots.
    A new luxury SUV combines military-inspired design and high-end luxury transportation and includes two military-grade gas masks to protect against chemical warfare.
    80% of stalking victims are tracked using tech. GPS trackers, like AirTags, are among the most popular ways to do it. Here's how to protect yourself.
    Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
    Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains how to protect yourself against artificial intelligence-fueled romance scams, which have become the most common type of fraud in 2025.
    Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson explains the steps to declutter text messages on a Mac or iPad. Apple offers ways to do this more efficiently.
    Here's how to take control of the algorithms on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok if your social media feeds aren't showing you content you want to see.
    Beware of iCloud scams using urgent messages. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you spot the red flags to protect yourself.
    Travel abroad worry-free with these top translation apps for travelers. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson highlights some favorites.
    The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope was going through preliminary tests in September 2023 when it captured images of an Einstein Ring in a nearby galaxy.
    Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says hackers are using Microsoft Teams for phishing, vishing and quishing via social engineering.
    Red light camera tickets: Not liable to ID the driver; some are fishing expeditions. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson helps you fight back against tricky fake tickets.
    The apps collecting the most data about you are among the most widely used. Kurt the CyberGuy takes a look at 20 of these apps and how you can protect personal information.
    AST SpaceMobile of Texas is developing the world's first global cellular broadband network that can connect directly to your smartphone without special equipment.
    Community Health Center, a Connecticut-based healthcare provider, has disclosed a recent data breach affecting over 1 million people in the U.S.

    Brainstorming! The Key To Wealth

    Advertising executive Alex F. Osborne first coined the word "brainstorming"... Read More

    Advice for New Coaches: 10 Ways to Attract Your First Paying Client and Receive Endless Referrals

    Many new coaches struggle to attract their first client. Often,... Read More

    Start Your Own Website in 10 Easy Steps

    If you're a beginner, starting a website doesn't have to... Read More

    The 7 Keys to Business Success

    Do you run a business that seems to run you?... Read More

    The Top Ten Qualities that Allow Business Operations to Grow Easily

    My husband and I were enjoying our dinner meal one... Read More

    Increase Exposure, and Profits With Powerful Memorable Business Cards Using These Ten Strategies

    Your business card is a valuable piece of real estate... Read More

    7 Tips On Getting Ready To Put Attraction Marketing Into Action

    Attraction marketing is about making a customer for life not... Read More

    10 Things To Do When Business Slows Down Over The Holidays

    I'm sure you've seen it happen every year: your business... Read More

    Tips to Starting your Own Busniess

    The 9-to-5 grind can make you feel like a just... Read More

    How to Apply the 12 Steps for Managment Conflict and Resolution

    1. Admit there is a problem.The very first step in... Read More

    How To Eliminate Your Competition Without Bloodshed

    So how do you eliminate your competition without bloodshed? You... Read More

    7 Super Ways To Drum Up More Sales

    1. Use subheads throughout your ad copy.Subheads are great to... Read More

    Seven Steps to Achieving Your Dream

    "Vision is the spectacular that inspires us to carry out... Read More

    Shaking Your Money Tree: Seven Ways to Make Quick Cash

    Does your business have a money tree you can shake... Read More

    10 Dos and Donts Of Customer Services

    Email etiquette is the key to help calm down anxious... Read More

    Managing Your Major Sales - 7 Steps That Could Change The Way You Pursue Business

    Ever lost a sale you thought was in the bag?... Read More

    Private Practice Success: 10 Essentials for Starting a Practice

    As a counselor, therapist or healing professional (massage therapist, physiotherapist,... Read More

    7 Things You Can Do To Weather The Lows Of A Business Cycle

    Hey, as hard as this may be for you to... Read More

    10 High-Impact Viral Marketing Strategies

    Viral Marketing is allowing people to giveaway and use your... Read More

    Top Ten Things to Do to Make your Signature File Sell

    Always include a powerful signature on every email you send... Read More

    Entrepreneurs - 7 Business Mistakes You Must Avoid

    Many mistakes can be made in business and if you... Read More

    Top 10 Items to Review & Build Your Business Now!

    In building and runnng an independent private practice or small... Read More

    Top 10 Stumbling Blocks that Limit Business Growth

    Never in history have more entrepreneurs launched more new businesses!... Read More

    Why Dont They Just Get It Done: 7 Performance Tactics for CEOs

    Buckling under the weight of chronic corporate restructuring, and frustrated... Read More

    Top Ten Ways to Manage Interruptions

    So many people I worked with said they got more... Read More

    Mishawaka limo O'Hare ..