Are You Stuck in a Routine Rut? 3 Fast Ways to Escape

Are you stuck in a routine that isn’t really productive, but certainly is busy? Are you doing all the right things but nothing is really reaping the results you want? Is step by step feeling more like inch by inch and you really want to just leap forward? I know how you feel, I’ve been there too and the fastest way out that I know of is to BREAK your routine. Yes, right now, right here. Stop what you are doing and go do anything else. Want an example?

#1 Extreme Sports ~ I’ve bungee jumped, (yes that is me to the left), tandem skydived and tandem hang glided all in an effort to shake up my life from the RUT I was in. It worked! And it was waaayyy out of my comfort zone. My idea of a sport is walking fast and a gym workout, I am what they call a non-athlete, so I knew I had to do something radical.

Now an extreme sport for you might be getting off the couch or out of your desk chair and taking a walk, go do it. It might be 10 minutes on the treadmill. It doesn’t have to be a major commitment, just a commitment to CHANGE.

#2 Eat Something Different ~ Now we each have our safe zones when it comes to food. Outrageous for me is elk, antelope, and gator, for you it might be chicken cordon bleu or California roll. When I was just ten years old we took a family summer trip to Italy, I didn’t trust my Mom about dessert in the restaurant. I wanted Profiteroles but didn’t know what it was and she wouldn’t tell me, just said trust me. I didn’t and boy did I miss out (puffs filled with ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce!) I never hesitated again (except in China when I could tell it was cow intestines.) Don’t do your usual lunch today, call a friend go grab it out. If you are used to fast food, skip it and go for a salad. When you skip lunch, take time for it. Break your routine!

#3 Change Your Body Clock ~ Even your body clock can get in a rut. Shake it up by sleeping in one day and staying up later to do work. My webmaster does this every now and again, he’ll work nights instead of days or in his case days instead of nights. By nature, he is a night owl so is sharper and night, but he enjoys playing with it to see the effect it has and to get out of what could become a rut.

Is this too wild and crazy for you?  Okay so you have kids and a spouse and can’t be this freewheeling, but what if (OMG) you took a nap today just because you felt like it. 20 minutes at your desk or on the floor, if you climb into bed you won’t get up for a couple of hours. Powernapping is called that for a reason, it powers you up for the rest of the day. Do something differently!

Okay so now, I really want to know what will you do differently today to shake up your routine, and stay out of your rut? C’mon share in comments here and be sure to share this post with friends and colleagues.