Winter Rut Survival: Simplify, Refocus, & Snap Out of It!

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Is it just me, or does winter feel like it lasts for years? I loathe bundling up in bulky clothes just so I can step out the door, so I generally don’t leave the house unless I really need to (even though I know it only makes things worse). Because of that, I find myself restless as all hell. I’ll start working on something and then find 50 more things I could do. Before I know it, I’m driving myself crazy learning things I don’t really give a shit about and stressing over a massively unnecessary task list.

The Struggle is Real. Every year.

Perfect example – The other day, I found myself freaking out about my blog. Am I in the right “niche” for what I want to create? I even went down a rabbit hole about AI agents—do I need one? Do I even know what one is? Researching and tweaking and…all of a sudden I have a task list full of bullshit busywork! Why? Apparently I’m bored!

I slammed the brakes and thought “Does any of this really matter? No? Then fuck it!” In this scenario, all I need to concern myself with is creating valuable content that I enjoy sharing. There’s no reason to overcomplicate that.

Simplify and Break Free

I’m sure you can relate, especially during winter. You have this tired, restless energy, but you have nothing useful to do with it so you just stress yourself out. What can we do?

  1. What matters? Make a list. Keep it as simple as possible. Embrace some selective apathy instead of spiraling and drop the guilt about things that don’t really matter to you.
  2. Create small “chaos breaks”. Dance, wash five dishes, or write out a messy braindump (and then throw it in the recycling bin if it ultimately doesn’t matter!)
  3. Get outside, even for five minutes – just enough to feel the cold slap some sense into you. Like I said, I loathe bundling up, but the crisp fresh air does do wonders for snapping me into a different mindset.
  4. Channel restless energy productively. Work on something that does matter to you, whatever that may be.

Bonus : Create something to look forward to. You don’t need to lock anything in – just let yourself dream a little. Personally, I like to brainstorm ideas for summer travel, tattoos, parties, my garden, local hiking spots, concerts, and exterior property maintenance. Most don’t happen, but that’s fine—I like having options.

Conclusion

It’s normal to feel restless in winter, and it’s ok to feel like you’re in a rut sometimes. Check your priorities, cut the bullshit, and give yourself something to look forward to! And enjoy these times of rest and reflection while they last.

If you liked this article, please give it a “like”, share it with friends, subscribe if you’re new, and leave me a comment down below – What do you do when you’re feeling restless?

Rock on!

Punk Rock Guidelines for Manifesting a Life You Love

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While daydreaming & scripting may make your wishes feel more attainable, nothing is going to get you where you want to be quite like actually doing something about it. Here are some punk rock guidelines to consider when manifesting a life you love.

Define your vision of success for your life

Nevermind what society, family, friends, acquaintances, or that guy at work who’s always looking at you funny thinks. What makes you feel fulfilled?

Find radical focus & clarity

No fluffy BS – Get crystal clear about your vision of an ideal life. You could even try making a vision board with only things that truly resonate with your authentic self.

Embrace selective apathy to remain focused

Be picky with what you give a fuck about – You may find that you stress yourself out about stupid shit, when you could be focused on making progress toward your goals in life.

Manifest by doing, not waiting

Scripting & visualization are good starting points for an action plan. Just make sure you do the work by taking action on the plan. Small steps daily add up to huge changes in the long run – “It doesn’t matter how slow you go, so long as you do not stop” – Confucius

Create an “I don’t care, I’m doing it anyway” list

Make a list of things you’re sick of putting off for “a more opportune time” or “more research”, & commit to trying one thing for each month of the year.

Reframe past failures into fuel

“Whatever doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger.” While that’s a load of crap half the time, you have to try to spin as much of the BS life throws at you as possible. Look for lessons to learn & ways to grow through tough times.

Edit your life’s playlist

Just like a playlist of your favorite music is unique to you, so is your life. Choose which “tracks” you’d like to “play” more or less often, such as your education, career, hobbies, & relationships, and create a lifestyle that is authentic to you.

Stay true to your vision

Whatever you set your intention to, stay stubborn in accomplishing it. Commit to the fact that any obstacle can be overcome, you just need to figure out how.

“Act as if”

Embody the ideal you’re striving for now. Today, & every day. If you want to be an artist, live as an artist would in your eyes, & create something daily. “Fake it til you make it”, if you must (that’s what most people do!)

Celebrate the little things

Be sure to acknowledge your progress with pride. Every step forward is a step in the right direction!

Conclusion

Actively create a life you love – Dream it, do it, own it, & revel in it. Every chance you get.

Which ideas resonated most with you? Let me know in the comments!