Do you feel like your life has been in a rut? Why is it that our lives rarely change, even when we’re miserable? There are forces within our minds that conspire to keep us stuck. They’re also spectacularly effective at accomplishing this and having the freedom to move on. In fact, they’re so good, we don’t even realize it’s happening.

These reasons may very well be the cause of your rut:

1. You lack the knowledge necessary to make a change. You might know that you need to be more confident, but you might also lack the knowledge of how to develop confidence. Not all skills are available at our fingertips. You might need to do a little studying before a change is possible.

2. You don’t know specifically what you want. If you think you might like to be a fireman, but also think becoming an accountant sounds interesting, you’re stuck. At some point, it’s necessary to make a clear decision and set a goal. If you can’t choose a vacation destination, you’re stuck at home.
3. You lack willpower or fail to use it effectively. Willpower is limited, but it’s great for creating new habits and behavioral patterns. Sticking with a task after the urge to quit surfaces can develop willpower. Continue for another 5 minutes. Increase the amount of time each week until you can work through the urge to give up.

• Use your willpower to develop small habits that can grow into useful routines.

4. You can’t deal with being uncomfortable. Anxiety, nervousness, and fear are great for preventing you from jumping off a 10-story building. But they’re worse than worthless when it comes to keeping you stuck. Some level of discomfort accompanies any change, but your emotions are misleading you. You’re not in any real danger.

• Use your logic to talk yourself through it. “Nothing bad can happen from giving a speech. In fact, there are many benefits.” Use the logical part of your brain to override your primitive instincts.
• There are many techniques to lower your levels of discomfort to more manageable levels. Meditation, prayer, and counseling are a few that can be beneficial.
• Start small and push through slight discomfort. Your ability to handle the bigger and scarier situations will grow with experience.

5. You give up too quickly. Change can take time. 80% of the change you ultimately see won’t reveal itself until at least 80% of the work has been completed. Your early efforts show little results, but things are happening behind the scenes. It’s necessary to persevere to see a meaningful change in your life.

• Learn to be a finisher. Start completing all the little tasks in your life. If you decide to walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes, keep going until you’re done. Avoid letting yourself off the hook until an activity is 100% complete.

Making any change can be a challenge. Understanding your roadblocks to change can enhance your ability to bring about meaningful changes in your life. Have an objective and develop habits that support that objective. Learn to lower and deal with uncomfortable emotions. You have everything within you necessary to create a spectacular life. Go for the freedom to move on!