Sometimes in the heat and the grind of day-to-day work we acquire blinders.  We do the same things in the same way -  we get caught in a rut.  It's all downhill from there - we get bored or apathetic, demotivated and frustrated.  So how to get out and move forward?

There are a few major directions in rut-climbing to take…

Reground

Sometimes it's good to get back to the basics.  It's so easy to forget the array of tools available to us that starting from scratch - with new eyes, so to speak - can help us remember other ways to do things.  While professionally it's not usually feasible to start all our work from ground zero, we can still get back to basics.  Some of the things to do to help reground:

• Take a basic class.  It doesn't have to take a lot of time - look for an online or self-study course if you want something quick
• Read a book on the basics.  If you have one from college days, try that.  Starter books tend to outline well so you can even get some reminders from the table of contents.
• Tour the tools.  For Project Managers, take a basic Microsoft Project course, read the tutorial for Pivotal, watch some videos on Rally - whatever tool you use (and sometimes ones you don't), start from the beginning.
• Search out some relevant blogs.  The ones that help beginners dive in can remind you of the basics that you've forgotten.

Refresh

Refresh is where you learn new things.  These are the things that give us new perspectives, advance us in our field, make us excited about our work again.  There are plenty of options available to for this one:

• Set aside time to just go through the kind of things that used to be in the trade manuals.  Maybe take the last Friday of the month, or half a day every couple of weeks - put it on your calendar - and take a breather.  (If you use the Eisenhower matrix, these are the 'Urgent/Not Important' things.)
• Keep a running list of things you'd like to catch up on - blog posts, classes, books, new techniques, papers, etc.
• Take a class on a new tool or technique.  Community college courses can actually help combine 'reground' and 'refresh'.  There is a plethora of online and self-study courses available to you.
• Look into professional development classes - earn a certificate in a new area or see if you can bring a course into your workplace.
• Read a book on a new process, tool or technique.  It doesn't have to be bleeding-edge stuff, just stuff that's new to you.

Redirect

Redirect is really when you think maybe you've had enough of the current direction and might like to do something else.  The something else might be just a little different (people management instead of project management) or a whole lot different (becoming a chef if you're currently an accountant).  Even if you decide not to go a different direction in the end, the daydreaming can help broaden your horizon and give you some perspective.  Some things to try:

• If you have a hobby you're passionate about, explore possible ways to make that hobby your new profession
• Take a class that gives you some insight into a possible new career
• Learn something you've always wanted to learn - throw pots, martial arts (i.e., throw people), creative writing, cooking - whatever sounds like fun.
• Take inventory of what you like to do, what makes you happy to get up in the morning, and look at how it might translate into a new career

We all suffer from burnout at one time or another - and we spend so much of our lives working that it's vital we enjoy what we're doing.  Take some time, take a breather, and get happy with your job again!

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