Are You Stuck in a Rut

Do you have a habit or a pattern of behaviour that has become unproductive and hard to change?

Maybe it is a relationship, a self-improvement goal that hasn’t been successful, or a money issue. The longer we stay in the rut, going round and round in circles, the deeper the track we’ve made becomes. It then gets harder and harder to veer off the deeply engrained trail and onto a new untrodden path. 

Often, we are in a rut because of fear. Many people fear change. Most people have some fear of disturbing the regular routine. The main culprit is that we fear and dislike discomfort. All change and growth comes with discomfort. We enjoy staying within our own circle of comfort, yet any change requires us to step outside of the circle. The more we step outside and allow ourselves to be uncomfortable, the bigger our circle of comfort grows. The inertia of comfort often keeps us in the rut.

Sometimes we get stuck because we run around and do things without a plan, without a strategy, and then we end up not accomplishing much of anything, even with sufficient resources. 

Oftentimes, the way out of the rut is to involve somebody else. We may need help and we often struggle getting off the deep tracks by ourselves. Sometimes it is as simple as finding someone to keep you accountable, and the first step is admitting to someone else what is happening. This is always uncomfortable.

For some issues, you may need to enlist expert help. An outsider may be able to help you see the bigger picture (sometimes we just need to be able to see things from a different perspective). They may be able to help you to strategize and come up with a plan to implement small and achievable goals. They may be able to guide you out of the rut, step by step, one change at a time. 

One small change can go a long way. Every decision you make, no matter how small, can change the course of the rest of your life. You can decide with each decision whether to go upwards or downwards. You have that choice with each and every decision. Every step of the way you can choose to stay inside or venture outside of your comfort zone. Remember that even one small change, turned into a habit, is powerful. 

If the rut you are in is money-related, your financial advisor may be able to help, whether it’s having someone to be accountable to, or using their expertise, knowledge, and experience to help put things into perspective. They can guide you to step outside your circle of comfort and simplify the steps required to succeed in achieving your goals. 

Why do we plan?

Knowing where you are translates into knowing where you're going, and we hope to provide every client with the trust and confidence to navigate through the waters of their financial lives.

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