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Ever been in a rut?

I have. Especially lately. Not a writing rut, but a why-do-I-have-to-spend-eight-hours-of-my-day-at-work rut. There are a million things I’d rather do. Like spend time with my son. Stay on top of the laundry. Exercise. Get involved with women’s ministry at our church. And of course, write.

The clock gets closer and closer to 6:15 am and I know I have to save the work on my computer and get into the shower and everything in me shouts, “I don’t wanna!”

Life goes so darn quickly and the busier we are, the quicker it goes. Sometimes I just want to shout, “Time out!” Zack Morris style (you Saved by the Bell fans know what I’m talking about). Spending a third of my day at work, then trying to cram all the other stuff in when I get home….it gets to me. Leaves me feeling a little blue.

Here’s the thing. I’m not quitting. At least not anytime soon. This is my reality right now. I’m a full-time teacher, mother, and writer. Trying to fit it all in. My passion (writing) has to get shoved to the side sometimes.

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only person in this particular boat. I’m pretty sure most people wish they had more time to do what they love and could spend less time on the things they don’t.

So what do we do? How do we get ourselves out of those ruts?

• Stop telling ourselves the grass is greener on the other side. Whether we work full-time, or have a passel of kids running around our feet all day, there’s always going to be something we have to do that we aren’t particularly thrilled about. Something that cuts into our writing time. Just yesterday, my pastor said, “Stop wishing for a different life, and live the one you have for Him.” It was like God decided to speak to me.
• Find a new perspective. When I’m in a rut, I tend to look at everything through glass-half-empty lenses. If I force myself to step back and look at things a little differently, that unmotivated feeling in my chest starts to shrivel. I mean, I have a job, one I actually enjoy. I have insurance because of that job. Our budget has room to breathe. My writing is independent of our finances and there’s so much freedom in that. Any money I make is a bonus, something we can save, or give, or use to further my writing career.
• Consider the perks. There are always perks. Because hubby and I both work full-time, we share the responsibility of housework. If I’m honest, he probably does more than me. I mean, I rarely have to do laundry or go grocery shopping. I’m sure a lot of women would love to be in that situation!
• No matter how bad the rut, in the words of my mother, don’t wish your life away. Like I said earlier, life goes way too fast and man, I don’t want to be sixty-five and retired, regretting that I spent my younger years wishing for something different. I want to live present in each moment. With purpose and joy and thanksgiving.
• Look at other factors – what’s the root of the rut? Have I been eating healthy? Exercising? Spending time with God? Have I been a good steward with the time I do have to write? A lot of times, when I examine these other factors, I find that there are things I can change, things I can do differently to get myself back on track motivationally.

So there you go. Those are some of the things I do when I find myself wishing for different circumstances. Most of the time they work. But sometimes, I just have to pray and let things run their course. We all go through seasons. Sometimes, I just have to remind myself that, “This too, shall pass.”

Question to Ponder: Are there things you have to do that you wish you didn’t have to do? How do you battle the unmotivation? What tips do you have when it comes to battling ruts?removetweetmeme