How to Get Your Business Out of a Rut NOW!

We’ve all been stuck in ruts with our business. You may be there right now.

It’s not fun, but in a lot of ways, it can be exactly what we need to get us where we want to go. What’s worse is being lukewarm. Apathy is far more dangerous than pain. Comfort is a dream killer.

Think about it. We don’t push ourselves when we’re comfortable. That’s not when we grow. We grow during the hard times. Why? Because it’s not fun. It hurts. So in order to get out of them, we change and we grow. Les Brown puts it this way (one of my favorite quotes):

“Rough times are going to come. But they have not come to stay, they have some to pass.”

Here are a few things that I use to get my business out of a rut.

Understand that Hard Times Will Come

Just like Les Brown said, hard times will come. Expect it. In any business, you will have to face some rough things. Knowing this will happen will mentally prepare you to deal with it.

I always tell my team to expect your business to get stuck in a rut along the way. Even if it’s only for a short time. This way, you can identify it when it happens. You’re not blindsided when you thought everything was going to be rainbows and unicorns.

Change the Habits that Got You There

If your business is in a rut, something got it there. And even if outside circumstances beyond your control are hurting your business, you’re still the business owner. Deal with it. Find a way around it.

More than likely, though, it’s in a rut because of something you are doing or not doing enough of. So change it. Stop  doing the things that got you there! If you’re in a rut, stoop digging. Identify the habits that got you there and change things.

If you’re stuck because you haven’t been prospecting or out looking for business, get out there and look for more business. If you’re stuck because you’re falling behind on your skills, get coaching or training. Get out there and network. Meet new people. People are out there. Everywhere.

Maybe you’ve been spending too much time focusing on your weaknesses and not enough time strengthening your strengths. Whatever it is, identify it and make some changes.

Do the Things You Don’t Want to Do

You have certain things in your business that you just don’t want to do. We all do.

It’s not fun. You’re not very good at it. But most of the time those things we just don’t want to do are the things that help us the most. It’s like working out. The exercises we hate most are usually the ones that are the best for us. Pay attention to people in your industry or type of business who are better than you. I guarantee you they are doing those things they do not want to do.

Take a few minutes to write down a few things that you just don’t really like to do. Then do them! You’ll be surprised at how it’s not really as bad as you thought it would be. You’ll be better for it. You’ll grow and probably discover the way out of your rut.

Stop Focusing So Much on Results

Results are important. (Like really important.) But sometimes you need to take your eyes of the results on focus on the activities.

Your business might be stuck in a rut because you’re just not consistently doing the things that will get you were you want to be. Never lose sight of the goal, but take a step back and examine what you’re really doing.

Are you putting too much time on the activities that don’t really make money? Maybe you’re spending too much time on training and not enough time taking action on that training.