Ever been stuck in a rut you just can’t seem to motor out of? Life can be a bit of a bog sometimes, leaving us spinning our wheels hoping a tow-truck comes to our rescue. For those mired life moments, Libby Gill has a few suggestions.

First, spot where you’re stuck. Do you know where you want to go but not how to get there? Do you know what you need to do but you’re not doing it? Does the thought of change leave you shaking in your boots? Are there issues you avoid? Are you not living the life you want? Did life beat you down one too many times, and you’re having a tough time getting up again? Are you letting opportunities you know you’ll regret missing out on pass you by?

Libby knows all about it. She’s been there too, fighting family, weight, marriage and career issues. She knows those ruts are tough to climb out of.

“Often the hardest part of reinvention, which is really more about re-claiming your gifts and dreams than truly re-inventing,” said Gill, “is to create some new risk-taking habits. As you begin to take increasingly bold risks, you’ll begin to build confidence and competence. Pretty soon those baby steps will become grand leaps that will get you where you want to go with ever-greater ease. Start small and keep making those incremental changes.”

Here are Libby’s 5 Top Tips for Risk-Taking Success:

1. Challenge the “INR.” The Immediate Negative Response, or INR, is that knee-jerk resistance to change which causes us to freeze, retreat or disengage from an impending risk, even when we expect the results to be positive.

2. Counteract “Riskophobia” with relaxation. Asking the boss for a raise, going on a blind date, or interviewing for a job can stir up anxiety. Overcome fear of risk-taking, what I call Riskophobia, with a regular practice of deep relaxation, including breathing, meditation or visualization so you can picture that job interview from “Hello” to “You’re hired.”

3. Resist the slippery slope of excuse-making. Even if the excuses are
true – “I’m too old,” “I’m too poor,” or “I don’t have enough time” – find ways to transcend excuses and start taking action.

4. Assess your “Advance or Avoid” behavior patterns. Become a student of your own risk-taking patterns. Are there some risks toward which you easily “advance”? Others that you’d rather “avoid”? As you become more aware, begin to build your risk-taking repertoire by trying bold, new risks that will advance your goals.

5. Steer clear of “Limiters” and embrace “Liberators.” It’s been said, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.” What kind of company have you been keeping? Maybe it’s time to mix it up a bit. Watch out for the Limiters who, unwittingly or not, may limit you because of their own fears and jealousies. Instead, surround yourself with Liberators who often have more faith in your ability to reinvent than you do yourself!