Midlife Creative

I do a lot of walking. As I walk, my mind wanders in a million directions, but my feet typically stay on the same path. I walk the same route day after day. I rarely go off course or venture off the road most traveled. I have always been a “play it safe” person. Lately, I’ve begun to wonder if my predictable patterns are routines or ruts?

One day, I decided to walk a little further and take a turn instead of going straight. I discovered a tunnel that led under a freeway and into a nature preserve. I thought to myself, “I didn’t even know this path was here and I have walked past it dozens of times”

Who pushes you to step out of your ruts and into new ways of thinking and living? Who challenges you to question, change gears, and take intentional detours? I have many routines in my life that are very helpful and won’t be changing anytime soon. I have some great routines around the house that keep the dishes and laundry done and assure that we don’t order pizza more than once a week. I also have routines that remind me to read, write, and rest.

But, I admit that I fall into unhelpful ruts very easily. One of my biggest ruts right now is obsessively checking social media and email throughout the day. I tell myself that it’s unnecessary and unfulfilling, but I keep checking it over and over again.
I have decided to take a week off my phone (except for answering phone calls and texts) as a way of resetting this habit pattern.

Taking a new path means facing some unknowns. Going without a phone seems small, but it is an important shift for me. Some of you may have bigger ruts that are much more difficult to pull out of. Changing careers, leaving abusive relationships, moving, speaking up about something you believe in when you know the people around you won’t agree. We all have ruts that we find ourselves settling into. Forging a new path can feel lonely. We may need to ask for help.

Shifting our direction and walking in faith instead of fear speaks volumes to others who are watching. We can become leaders for those who have always wanted to step out of their ruts, but haven’t had the courage. Our changes, even the small changes, can make a way for others to follow in our footsteps.

My rut for today is social media addiction. Becoming aware of your own rut requires slowing down and making observations. Do you want to change? Do you want to try something new? Do you want to grow? What’s holding you back? Tell someone. Then, take some baby steps out of your rut, and see what you discover.