We often get in a rut. It’s hard to see that we’re doing the same thing every day until we’re so deep in that rut we can’t see out.
This time of year, when the trees are in full fall splendor, is a good time to rethink our daily activities.
Just Before Sleep, What Comes Into Your Mind?
Maybe it’s a thought about what to do the next morning. But often it’s a regret about something you didn’t do that day. If only there were more time…
That’s your biggest clue that something needs to be changed. You’re having a “shoulda” moment. And you can never get those back. Make a habit of keeping a notebook by your bed to jot down those random “actions” that you coulda, shoulda, or woulda done if you’d had more time.
Also write down those things you wish you hadn’t done and see if that frees up some time and energy. How much of our day do we spend worrying about things that may never happen? Or wondering why something didn’t quite work out the way we’d planned? Life has a way of happening, whether we have a plan or not.
How Do We Change Our Routine Without Disrupting Our Lives?
Well… the whole point of changing our routine IS to disrupt our lives. But not in a bad way. In a way that leaves us happier and more fulfilled. What are the steps we need to take to make a change a reality?
We can change little things for maximum effect. Here are 6 steps each of us can take to make our lives a bit more joyful right now.
As the saying goes, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift – that’s why it’s called the present.” Have gratitude for the present because it’s the only place you can actually touch your life.
6 Steps to Get Out of Your Rut
1. Systems Interrupt
A rut is a closed loop. The first move is simply breaking the loop.
- Change your environment (work somewhere else for a day)
- Change your sensory input (walk, music, silence, sunlight)
- Change your pattern (reverse your morning order, shift your workflow)
This isn’t about solving anything — it’s about disrupting inertia so your brain can see options again.
2. Reconnect to a meaningful “why”
Ruts happen when your actions lose connection to your values. This doesn’t mean you’re not living a meaningful life. It just means you’re running on autopilot and your priorities may have changed as you’ve gotten older and (hopefully?) wiser.
Ask one grounding question:
“What part of my life actually matters to me right now?”
Not the whole life. Not the five‑year plan.
Just the one thing that feels alive when you touch it. Right now. In this moment. All you’ve got is the gift of the present.
That becomes your source point and anchor.
3. Choose one tiny, identity‑shifting action
Don’t set a goal. Don’t start creating a plan. This is an in-the-moment action.
A behavior that says, “I’m the kind of person who ___.”
For example:
- Sends one email that moves a project forward
- Cleans one surface
- Reads one chapter of a book today
- Plants one thing
- Fixes one broken thing around the house
Identity changes through evidence, not intention. In other words, you have to do something for it to count. Just thinking about it isn’t enough.
4. Build a 48‑hour momentum window
Ruts fill in when motion becomes self-reinforcing.
For the next two days:
- Do one meaningful action each day
- Keep it small enough that you cannot fail
- Track it visibly (paper, whiteboard, phone note)
Momentum is a chemical state — you create it by stacking wins.
5. Remove one friction point
Every rut has a “drag coefficient”: something that quietly steals energy.
Common friction points:
- Clutter
- Unmade decisions
- Digital chaos
- A task you’re avoiding
- A conversation you haven’t had
Pick one and eliminate it.
Removing friction often gives more lift than adding effort.
6. Create a future pull, not a push
People stay out of ruts when something ahead of them feels compelling. This is the only step where the future matters. Let that sink in.
This can be:
- A project that excites you
- A social commitment
- A seasonal ritual
- A learning goal
- A small adventure on the calendar
Push = discipline.
Pull = desire.
Pull wins every time.
Are You Ready to Look Over the Edge of Your Rut?
That’s how you start. Just acknowledging you have a rut. Then start with those little actions that no one but you will notice. Maybe tonight’s the night you wash all the dishes.
Or maybe you don’t wash the dishes you wash every night and read a chapter in that book you’ve been looking at for months. If there are other people in your household, you might find they know how to wash the dishes and do them.
I love to knit sweaters, but I don’t like to connect all the pieces together. Finishing is where the project goes to die. There are untold sweaters in a basket I should finish.
Unfinished projects start to create their own little rut. To take my own advice, tonight I’ll sew together one arm and side of a sweater – not the whole thing – just a piece.
And then maybe tomorrow I’ll sew the other arm to the body of the sweater. And then maybe in two weeks, when cold weather sets in, I’ll have a new completed sweater!
But tomorrow’s a mystery. I can only make a difference in my life today. And that is a load lifted off. When we only have to worry about the here-and-now, life is so much easier.
What’s your abandoned project or task you’ve been avoiding? Today’s the day.
How Does This Impact Marketing Regen Ag?
The same principles that go into leading a fulfilling life work for creating a profitable regen ag business.
The 6 Steps to Get Out of a Rut also apply to the principles of effective marketing. Especially in regen ag, where relationships are the backbone of success.
As business owners, we spend a lot of time in the weeds, often literally. That’s our rut.
It’s good to peek over the fence and see what the other folks are doing. Maybe we can learn something.
The most important part of any marketing campaign is listening and understanding the real “WHY” of a client. Without that knowledge much marketing never hits the target.
Research the Possibilities and You'll Be Surprised
When you really know why you’re doing something all the pieces just fall into place. The entire regen supply chain depends on each piece to be there.
You’re one of those pieces. And we believe marketing, just like life, should feel like a transformation, not pressure.
We want you to know we’re listening, and we’re committed to building a dialogue.
