So I posted about being in a rut not too long ago, and I have to admit, it’s been a challenge trying to claw my way back out. But that’s life for you, right? A constant journey of highs and lows?
Sometimes, Low Me just barges into my life like an unwanted relative. But I can’t just close the door on him, because that’d mean closing the door on High Me too.
That’s why we’ll be exploring the things you should do when you reach either side of the spectrum, who shall henceforth be known as High You and Low You.
The High You game plan
This is when you’re nailing your life goals and juggling all your responsibilities without the use of cocaine or meth. Your finances are in order, you crush everything on the first try, and your self-esteem is at an all-time high.
This is the time to build your life.
High plan #1: Chase your ultimate life goals
Because when else will your grandest life goals sound doable?
If your dreams involve high-stakes sales pitches or standing before a crowd, then there’s no better time to execute than when High You is around.
Every effort now will lay the groundwork for your future self. Crank out those 80,000 words. Network with others in your industry. Start a new business.
After all, the best time to pursue the impossible is when nothing sounds impossible.
High plan #2: Keep your promises to yourself
High You is the older sibling to Low You, so you’ve gotta act like one.
That means it’s High You’s duty to stick to your workouts and maintain a nutritious eating plan. And it’s up to High You to do the responsible thing, because Low You sure as hell ain’t going to.
Besides, it’s always nice to allow Low You to say “At least I…”
At least I learned a new language last year.
At least I ate healthy most days.
At least I didn’t spend money on alcohol this month.
Also, if you can’t stick to a plan when everything’s going well, when else are you going to?
High plan #3: Fill your cookie jar
Famously coined by David Goggins, this is simply the act of remembering your past successes to get you through the tough times.
Every time you come across something that builds your self-worth, make sure you store it in your mental (or actual, if you want) cookie jar.
So if you ran 20 kilometres when you thought you could only do 10, take note of that. Or if someone leaves a particularly encouraging comment on your blog, take a screenshot. I totally don’t do this. Nope. Nada. *side glance*
It’s easier to collect these cookies when you’re in a positive mindset, so make sure to fill that jar when you’re flying high. Then when Low You comes about, you’ll have enough to last the drought.
“We must create a system that constantly reminds us who we are when we are at our best, because life is not going to pick us up when we fall.”
David Goggins
High plan #4: Buffer anything bufferable
You know what’s helped me most during my rut? Having a month’s worth of blog posts scheduled.
It was a morale boost to feel useful while not technically doing anything. It’s like savings for a rainy day: not as fun in practice, but great when you need it.
Look for other bufferable elements in your life. Is it actual money? Pantry items? Your studies?
Routine tasks are a great place to start. For instance, prepping your clothes and tasks for the next day is a great way to buffer, because who knows which You you’ll wake up to tomorrow?
High plan #5: Stack the odds
Life is all about averages. Even if we factor in the life-changing windfalls or disasters, you are still the culmination of all the decisions you’ve made in life.
It’s just like the lint in your dryer. The colour you scrape from the filter will be the sum average of the clothes you’d put in. You won’t get white lint if you were drying your blacks, for example.
Likewise, you can’t expect to magically put out a bestseller if writing isn’t even part of your routine. Unlike school, the universe will never stop calculating your life’s GPA. So it’s up to High You to keep your scores up.
Bonus: Remember that nothing ever lasts
You could feel invincible and think that the world’s your oyster, but nothing ever lasts.
Which is why it’s good to stop and smell the flowers from time to time. Appreciate how good you have it, because as cliche as it sounds, this too shall pass.
The Low You game plan
Maybe you got laid off. Maybe a loved one passed. Maybe you don’t even have a reason. Sometimes you just fall into a rut and you feel like half the person you used to be. That’s okay. Take a deep breath and read on.
Low plan #1: Sometimes you just gotta accept it
“Not every bad day can become a good day. Some days are fucked, and cannot be unfucked.”
Self-Help Singh
One bad day doesn’t make a bad life. One relapse doesn’t kill your previous efforts.
The term ‘roll with the punches’ isn’t just a platitude. It’s an actual technique. Would a parry or a block be better? Of course. But shit happens. You were beaten to the punch (ha, literally). So you learn to accept one bad moment, bolster the pain as much as you can, and get right back into the fight.
But don’t force yourself to feel better if you need more time though. That’s the main point here. Gather your wits first if that’s what you have to do. Just know that being hurt doesn’t mean the fight’s over.
Low plan #2: Take it as a recovery period
Growth doesn’t happen during the workout. It happens at rest. Most times, rest is voluntary. Sometimes, it’s imposed.
Maybe you get injured. Or Low You decides to take over for a while. That’s fine. Look at it as a scheduled time-out. Start recalibrating. Note what you miss and why you miss it.
Do you wish you had the energy to do the groceries? Or the joy of not feeling sick? Make sure you remind High You of that. Then you’ll know exactly what you should be doing when you’re over your rut.
But don’t feel bad about not pursuing anything when you’re low. Because when this is all over, you’ll come out on the other side much stronger.
Low plan #3: Don’t bank on feeling better
We never want to feel bad. So it’s understandably frustrating when Low You checks in once again. But that doesn’t mean you should wait till you’re ‘better’ before you start doing what you want. Because ‘better’ may never come.
Instead, be content with where you’re at today. Feeling emotional because you can’t get the printer to work? Okay, that’s your baseline for today. So maybe we don’t print anything.
Maybe we try writing a to-do list instead. Or clean our desk. Or pretend to work when we’re not (which is harder than actually working, to be honest).
Like Jim Kwik said, if you only have 40%, and you put out that 40%, you’ve still given 100%. The math may be shady, but you get the point.
Low plan #4: Action beats thinking
I don’t care whether it’s going for a walk or spring cleaning your entire wardrobe (which, let’s face it, Low You isn’t going to do), but what’s important is that you try to do something.
Don’t attempt to outthink your problems. You’ll only end up making mental roundabouts. And with Low You’s pessimism, every outcome would probably seem shitty anyway.
So err on the side of doing. Going for a haircut may not help with the rent, but it might make you feel better about yourself. And who knows? That could be the tiny piece of momentum that would snowball into a boulder.
Bonus (not really): Remember that nothing ever lasts
I usually don’t end my posts this abruptly, but I felt it was the best way to drive home the fact that no matter how sucky things may be, it’s not cliche to remember that this, too, shall pass.
Regardless if you’re feeling high or low, a good thing you could do is to sign up for the newsletter. There, you’ll get exclusive pep talks for both Yous. You’ll also get a free guide on how to grow your WordPress audience, so do join in the fun!
Stuart Danker 
I’d love to hear your thoughts!