in a rut or in a groove?

Patterns – you either love them or hate them. If you are a creative type, one of those free spirits, you probably disdain predictability. Go with the flow is more your style. Spontaneity and improvisation – there we go!

You control freaks (I say that lovingly) among us need order. You not only want to know the agenda, you want to set the agenda. Systems and structure and form – that’s your idea of a good time.

I think I’m somewhere in the middle of those two. I like to know what’s coming next but a little adventure does my heart good. I like variety.

But let me tell you what I don’t like: Ruts. Ruts kill us! A rut is that place where forward progress stops. You keep spinning your wheels but you go nowhere. You expend all of your energy but the scenery never changes.

We need to distinguish between a rut and a groove.

The biggest difference between a rut and a groove is that a groove takes us someplace – we get stuck in a rut. Grooves are when things are working. Life is happening. Stuff gets accomplished. Ruts are different. The harder you work, the deeper you dig. If you are in the same place now that you were a year ago, classic rut! I hate ruts.

While I can’t offer any simple solutions if you are in a rut, I can tell you what doesn’t work: working harder at what you are already doing. As the old saying goes – When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.

If we are in a rut and hope to get out, we have to change something we are doing. Here are 3 ideas:

Take a risk: Innovation and risk are necessary in order to get out of a rut. You have to takes some chances. Try something new. The result may be the same but if it is, try something else. Keep trying until you get out of that rut.

Consult with a friend: Ask someone who has been in a similar situation. Maybe they can offer some encouragement and advice. It can’t hurt, right?

Pray: God also hates ruts. Ask for His help and He will assist in the digging out process.

Here’s the deal – never get comfortable in a rut. Others may like it and even resist when you try to escape it (misery loves company) – maybe you’ve been in a rut for a long time – but God did not create you to live in a rut. Get Out!

Examine your situation today. Are you in a rut or in a groove? If it’s a groove, run with it! If it’s a rut…