Routine or Rut? by Morgan Mandel

Do you find yourself doing the same things at the same time, day after day? A lot of people follow a certain routine, especially those like me who hold down day jobs. Many of us need to be at work at a certain time, and leave work at a certain time. That means going to bed by a certain time also to be able to repeat the cycle again the next day. On weekends, I tend to follow the same pattern of waking up, since my body is used to that schedule.

I walk the dog right away in the morning, as soon as I get home from work, then let her out a few times each night into our fenced yard.

I like to eat the same food for breakfast, go to the same place for lunch since it's convenient, and rotate the same dinner kind of foods. Friday night is often pizza or gyros night.

Routines can be good or bad. A routine that is so solidly ingrained that it's very difficult to change, I call a rut. It's hard to get out of a rut, but it's worth the effort. I'm in one, but am starting to break free. I've been spending loads of time on promotion and social networking, because frankly, it's a lot of fun. Still, that's not getting my novel finished. It's hard to promote a new book if that book isn't done.

So, I'm not going to spend as much time on promotion as before. I'm spending more time on serious writing. I promise.

What about you? Are you in a rut? Or are you following a disciplined routine?