Feeling stuck in a rut or plateau?
In this episode of the 30 Day Year podcast, Dave and Jacqueline Conway explore the causes of ruts and plateaus in business and life, identifying selfishness and fear as the root causes.

You’ll discover that burnout comes from forcing yourself to do things you don't want to do and operating purely from self-will. You’ll also discover that your subconscious mind, which never fatigues, holds the key to sustainable energy and creativity!

Dave and Jacq explain that ruts often occur when entrepreneurs lose sight of their goals, or they fall into "getting" energy, rather than "giving" energy. You’ll never find your way out of a rut by grinding harder. Escaping a rut requires letting go of force and self-will, embracing creativity, reconnecting with inspiring thoughts and activities, and rebuilding momentum.

Key Takeaways

Ruts are rooted in selfishness and fear. (0:02:50)
Dave says when your results stall, it is often because you have unconsciously drifted into selfish thinking. From there, fear grows fast. Jacq frames it as “getting energy” vs “giving energy.” But when you return to service and selflessness, fear loses its grip, and momentum returns.
Experiencing burnout is not the same as falling into a rut. (0:04:15)
Dave explains that burnout is mental. It comes from forcing yourself to do things you do not want to do, and believing you have to hold everything together through sheer will. He contrasts that with the subconscious mind, which does not fatigue. Sustainable energy comes from reconnecting with that deeper power rather than muscling through.
The fastest emotional shift is to re-enter inspiration on purpose. (0:06:59)
When Jacq asks how to shift from feeling flat, Dave’s answer is direct: visualize, study, and practice enthusiasm like a skill. He even suggests flipping the internal script in real time, choosing enthusiasm before you “feel” it.
Plateaus happen when you lose your next goal. (0:08:13)
Dave says many high achievers get stuck because the level they reached was the goal, and once they get there, they lose mental stimulation and become stagnant without a new goal to focus on. That’s why Jacq reinforces that the next step is reigniting the next goal and objective. Remember, the purpose of a goal is not to get. The purpose is to grow.
Momentum has to be built daily… but not through harder work. (0:09:47)When Dave starts breaking down the habit of increasing your income, the first step is almost embarrassingly simple:
They describe momentum like a treadmill. You cannot coast. The leader has to keep the engine constantly running. But the solution is not to work harder or put in more hours. The solution is elegant and simple. Tune in to discover what it is!
The fastest way to get out of a rut. (0:22:02)
You get out of a rut by letting go, reopening creativity, and having fun again! This is the key message in this episode. Dave explains how to use your imagination and creativity to break the looping mental cycle of a rut.

Free Tool Mentioned

Feeling stuck? Flat? Burned out? Dave referenced the exact visualization checklist he uses daily. You can use this tool to break the mental loop, escape the rut, reconnect to your goal, and restart your momentum!

You Can Download the Visualization Checklist Here Now!