Sometimes in life we get stuck in a bit of a rut. Nothing seems particularly exciting, every day is the same, and honestly it feels a little bit blahhhhh.
I am (very) well acquainted with this feeling, and it’s one of the most annoying things. Therefore today I want to help you get all the oomph back in your life, and get inspired to make things exciting and fun again!
1. look towards others
No matter what you want to be inspired and motivated to do, there is someone out there doing it. Instead of being discouraged by this (why them and not me) use them as inspiration* (I can do that too!). This is where social media can come in handy. Find some people on Instagram who do what you want to be doing or who inspire you in any way, and follow them. Be inspired, not jealous.
2. Go for a walk.
For me, nature is one of the easiest ways to get inspired. And if not, at least it’s a way to get you away from your blahh life for a little bit.
Look at the flowers, the trees, the animals, the sunshine (hopefully). Realizing what a miracle this planet and our existence is, might help kick you into gear a bit faster.
3. Imagine your dream life.
What do you want to do or achieve? What would your perfect day look like? Can you get inspired by the image? If not, add to it. Make it so exciting you want to jump out of bed to realize this image.
4. Read more books.
It doesn’t really matter what kind of book it is, but read. While reading, our brain usually forms images of what we’re reading. There’s a reason some people describe reading as ‘hallucinating while looking at a dead tree’. A bit harsh, but there is some truth to it.
When we’re looking at the television, our brains don’t have to do anything at all. The images are there, the sounds, the words, they can just shut down and stare. Reading activates your imagination. Aside from that, it might give you some other inspiration as well if you’re reading books about business, finance or self-development.
5. Change your surroundings.
Take a day trip or weekend trip if you like. Even if you take a different route to work, or if you change your morning walk. Sit at a different desk. Do some work at a coffee shop. Work from home if you usually don’t. Mixing up our environments keeps the brain active.
6. Take a “think day/weekend/week”.
However long you can spare. This is something Bill Gates does twice a year, and basically he locks himself away for a week. Away from his phone, computers and most human contact, he would only read proposals by his employees. Looking for new ideas. While you probably don’t have employee papers you can read during this time, there are plenty of books around to get inspired from.
7. Learn something new.
Learn more about something you find interesting, just for the fun of it. Try skillshare, khan academy, Coursera or Duolingo to pick up some new skills. You can also see if any courses are being taught near you if you prefer an in-class approach.
8. Get out of your comfort zone.
Your comfort zone is not your friend, and we secretly all know it. Especially if we want to change something or get inspired for life, we might have to do something different than we usually do. Get out of your routine, switch it up. Do something you’ve been wanting for a while but have been scared or afraid to do them.
9. Live a day like you’re a child.
Question everything. Be amazed by everything. If possible, spend your day with a child and do whatever they want. Give in to all your childlike urges and see what happens.
10. Supersize your goals.
I am sure that, like 90% of the population, you have set goals for yourself. Imagine what it would be like if you supersized these goals. Make them 10 times as big. 20 times. 50 times. Make them as big as you have to to get inspired. You are limitless and you truly can do anything. If you keep your goals on level 1, maybe you’ll achieve them. But if you set your goals to level 50 and work towards those, you’ll definitely achieve the ones on level 1. Maybe you won’t reach 50, but even if you get stuck at level 20, your life will be amazing.
11. Look at all the things you have already achieved and celebrate them.
Often, we are so focused on what’s ahead of us, that we don’t take the time to celebrate how far we have gotten. If we graduate high school we don’t celebrate, cause college is coming up. If we graduate college we don’t celebrate because we have to look for a job. There is always another goal on the horizon, and this can keep us from taking a moment to see what we have already done. Celebrate small wins at the end of the day, or take a full day to enjoy a big win.
12. Look up images online.
Your keywords, your goals, your focus points, find images for them. Find images for your supersized goals. Make a vision board, if you want. Keep the images somewhere you can see them, so it’s easier for you to get inspired on a daily level.
13. Write a letter to yourself when you do get inspired
Describe what you’re feeling and why. What are you excited for, why are you inspired? Then every time you get that blah-feeling again, read your letter.
14. Think simple.
When you’re stuck in a rut because you can’t move past a certain problem, think of the easiest solution to fix it. What is the absolute simplest way that you can get rid of it? Which solution is so obvious that you’ve overlooked it? When you get to it, you’ll probably smack yourself on the forehead and think ‘duh, can’t believe i didn’t see that’. Now fix the problem.
15. Do something that makes you happy.
I am convinced that happiness is always the answer. So if you get stuck, think of what would make you happy at that moment, and do it. Then when you’ve done that, think of the next thing that will make you feel happiest. Make some time to do this every now and then regardless of what you feel, but especially make some time when you feel down.
16. Get creative.
Show your artistic side and paint, draw, color, knead or photograph your way to a new creation. Whether you write or film, creating something new is one of the best ways to get those juices flowing. It doesn’t have to be good, it just needs to be.
17. Watch a Ted talk.
Like #1, an easy way to get inspired to do something is to see someone else do it successfully. Watch a Ted talk from someone in a field you want to be in. Someone you admire. Watch a completely random Ted talk. Chances are it’ll motivate you to do something, or at least think about something new.
18. Watch a great movie or documentary.
Movies about people overcoming things or documentaries about something that interests you. They are low key and accessible, but quite effective. Watching legally blonde for example always made me want to study.
19. Just start.
The enemy of progress is perfection. Often we get stuck in a rut because we don’t want to do something unless we can do it perfectly. We don’t want to share it with the world because we’re afraid they’ll reject it. We have a built-in fear of failure, and the easiest way to get over it is to just do it. Start on that project and share it with the world. The biggest hurdle is to just get started on it.
20. Take care of yourself.
Mens sana in corpore sano, or a healthy mind in a healthy body. The mind cannot function properly if the body is not taken care of. Get some physical activity going, feed yourself some real nutrients, or book a treatment if that’s possible for you. Spend some time on yourself before you spend time on your ideas to be able to make your ideas the best they can be.
I hope these 20 tips have given you some ideas to try out when you get stuck. Being without inspiration can be incredibly frustrating, and the sooner you get out of it, the better you will feel. Inspiration is so important for our motivation and excitement, and can actually help us be more productive. If you liked reading this, you might also enjoy my 9 productivity hacks, or how to write the perfect to-do list. If you need some more inspiration, take a look at the inspirational quotes I post every monday. What are your favourite tips to get inspired? Let me know!
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