Stale Sucks

Have you ever experienced the frustration of biting into a tempting looking salty snack only to realize… it’s stale.

The styrofoam-y texture and taste is the ultimate let down.

What should have been a rewarding treat is now a bitter disappointment.

Stale sucks.

Stale is stagnant.

It’s never good.

One thing I’m particularly proud of in my career as a youth pastor is my consistency.

Week in and week out we have youth services.

With the exception of Holidays and extreme weather, we never miss a Wednesday.

Consistency has been a great strength of our team for years.

And like so many strengths, if we aren’t careful it can be a weakness.

Consistency is a tremendous blessing and at times can be a curse.

To be quite candid, consistency can lead to becoming stale, stuck and make you feel as if you reached a never-ending plateau.

Feeling stuck is frustrating.

In all areas of my life I want to advance, grow and make progress.

This applies to my marriage, my job, my family, my relationship with God, my retirement account, my strength and conditioning, and many more.

Am I the only one?

Here are a few tips for those who want to get moving again even though you feel stale, stuck, or that you’ve reached a plateau.

1.     Don’t get worked UP

Plateaus happen.

You probably did nothing wrong. Life is full of ebbs and flows. Relax. You are totally normal when you feel stuck.

Freaking out and making drastic changes can actually put you in reverse.

2.     Keep showing UP

Consistency is what got you to this point. And as boring as it sounds consistency will likely move you forward again.

I’ve hit plenty of walls while working out and trying to get stronger.

It’s funny; I’ve never gotten stronger or unstuck by quitting my gym membership.

3.     Try mixing it UP

If you and your spouse / significant other only eat at one restaurant for your date night and you find things getting stale it may be time to mix it up.

Pick a new restaurant.

If you only use three machines at the gym you may want to venture out and find a couple new options as well.

Notice, you’re not trying a new gym or finding a new partner to do life with; you’re simply tinkering.

Mixing it up involves little tweaks not dramatic upheaval of your routine.

Also, keep this promise from scripture handy:

Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. (Galatians 6.9, NLT)

Stale sucks.

Consistent growth and progress is fun… and may require a little extra effort.

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