What’s the difference? A routine is a pattern of behavior that guides you through the mundane, while a rut is a routine that is completely ingrained. A routine can be as simple as the steps you take to get dressed in the morning or how you get to work. A rut is much deeper, though.
Routines are good – they help you get things done without having to put much thought into what you’re doing, because what you’re doing doesn’t require much thought (such as what to eat for breakfast or where to put your car keys when you come home). They help make life easier and more settled. I encourage routines because they allow you to use your brain power for other activities requiring more thought, such as work or family interaction.
Routines that become ruts are sometimes bad. How do you know if a rut has gone bad? Ask yourself this question: “Am I willing to change what I’m doing?” If you are not open to a new pattern of behavior, then you are in a rut. The main characteristic of a rut is that it is cut so deep that you cannot see over the edges to see anything else that is out there. Ruts force you to stay on the same (often narrow) path. They don’t open your eyes to other opportunities. Ruts are hard to break out of; you have to do this intentionally. And when a rut is work or family-related, the entrenched behavior can lead to stubbornness when those two areas require people to be truly flexible.
Routines are good and necessary; ruts are not. As you go through today, ask yourself if what you are doing is a routine or a rut. Could you change if you wanted to? For the sake of others, would you alter what you’re doing? It’s easy to say yes, so I dare you to try it with something simple and see how you react to that small change. You may have more ruts in your life than you know.
Lead On!
Lead On!