One of my favorite authors, Paulo Coelho, famously said: “"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It's lethal." I think he was actually referring to ruts, because there is a subtle but significant difference between routines and ruts, even though they are often used as synonyms. Here’s why it’s important to to separate them:
A routine is something that provides structure. Structure is something solid that you can push against. You wouldn’t try hammering a nail into a board floating on water, would you? It simply wouldn’t work. In order to achieve something, we often need something to push against. Therefore, a routine is something that allows you to be flexible in making decisions because it provides consistency and stability. You know that even if you decide to do something different for a particular day or instance, the routine will still be there to return to.
A rut is still made of structure, but it’s a structure that is all-encompassing. Just like the word describes, a rut keeps you stuck; it doesn’t allow for flexibility or change—it supports neither. The only time a rut is “good” for you is if you can see how it’s holding you back or stifling you and keeping you from something else. But even then the rut isn't actually good for you; what's good is that you can see what's holding you back (which is the rut itself).
So, avoid getting stuck in a rut by focusing on building a routine that provides structure to your life, so that you can more easily make decisions and create flexibility in opportunity.