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How To: Get Out of Working Rut

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Ever find yourself staring at your computer with a list of things you HAVE TO accomplish but somehow you're lost in webberspace thinking about the items on your list for the camping trip this weekend? It's Monday. We've all been there. But what happens when you spend more time in this rut than in your groove? Personally, we recently moved and I'm finding it extremely difficult to get out of the "just unpacked" feeling of a new home and into my routine of writing, doing and working. Here are my best tried and true tips for how to get out of a working rut.

Change your view

Sometimes the best way to get excited about a stale project is to completely change your view of things. Take an afternoon to look at something besides your list, computer, project specs and expectations or just get out of the office. My favorite places to recharge are antique or thrift stores - they always reenergize my thought process usually challenging me to think differently about something (tangible) so I can rework the details about the intangible.

Virtual Realities

If getting out of the office is a no-go option for you (clocked in an' all) try taking a 15 minute break and dive into something that spikes your creativity. I often head over to Pinterest to search random words and then ogle at the beauty that comes up. A quick Skype call to someone who always has the right thing to say helps too. Have your mentor on-call? Give them a ring and ask them how they conquered the Rut. You'd be surprised at their answers. Go for a run! Get out of the office! Take a day off! Grab a tea and your favorite book, relax! These simple tips of changing the everyday scenery usually unlocks the flow needed to get on with that nagging email, the proposal you still have to write, the meeting you forgot to schedule and the articles looming overhead.

Look through a different lens

I'm behind my camera alot as part of my job. Always photographing the process, the moments, the faces. It can get to be one of the things I dread picking up because I'm always attached to it. This doesn't bode well for my clients so I often hand my machine over to my kids and go on a walk. Their photos are sometimes the most inspiring views of 48 inches off the ground. I get psyched to grab the camera again and try something new.

Reinstate the routine

If your current work atmosphere has just been moved around, changed or otherwise sent into upset ... some times getting back to the normal is the only way to get back on top of your list.

Moving to a new home and trying to unpack and recreate the magic flow has been something we've dealt with a lot the past year. In fact, we just moved again and this time I'm beyond lost with how to get back into my routine. Today I just went about things as if nothing had changed and so far, so good. I'm getting work done!

Be full

Last but not least, be full. This one might seem like it's hard to connect to office living vs. home office work flow however: an office space outside of the home isn't far off for myself. I've been thinking a lot about this as I'm planning for the years to come with my businesses and writing clientele. A wise counselor once told me that I needed to find something that made me feel full. For her, it was fresh flowers in the home. It didn't take me long to know what my secret was: I love having a fresh produce, bountiful garden and the ability to make anything requested in the kitchen at any given time. The day I get groceries or (when I have one) tend the garden are always my most inspiring days as a writer. You better believe that when I secure an office I'll be buying a fridge to go along with it. And probably crafting my own potting table for an indoor garden, too. I feel so much better! How about you? What gets you back into the swing of things? A weekend away without cell phones or computers? Is it a conference that reignites your passion for what you do? A cup of coffee before a work day with someone you admire in your field?

What are your best tips and tricks to share?

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