When you get in a rut, don't let the rut get in you*

You might not have noticed, but I didn't write a post last week.  It wasn't because I didn't want to.  I think it had more to do with my state of being. Being overrun by the same old busy schedule and being run over by the monotony of it all.  I was in a rut and and that rut was putting a damper on my enthusiasm for just about everything. Do you know what I mean?

It certainly isn't productive -- or healthy -- to remain in the doldrums.  Not only does it zap your personal energy but the energy you share with others. The first step to pulling yourself out of a rut is to recognize you are in a rut.  Then, do what you have to to reset your inner course.  Consciously pursue that which gets you back to a more positive outlook. The sooner, the better.  For me, that reset comes from doing two things: physical activity and learning something new.  Pushing forward with a physical activity releases the stress and melancholy I am feeling.  Then, when I'm physically rejuvenated, my mind begins craving some new stimulation.   It pleads with me to read some non-fiction, unleash some creativity, learn something new. 

Lucky for me, I had signed up months ago to attend a blog conference last Saturday in Las Vegas.  The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Who would have thought back in July that I was going to need some uplifting activity to pull me out of a funk in October? Incredible. A tender mercy, for sure.

Bloggy Boot Camp  was recommended to me from a new friend I met at evo12, Adrian of Adrian's Crazy Lfe.com  She told me about these two really nice girls, Tiffany and Fran, who share everything they know about the blogging world. They invite a few of their friends to share their expertise as well. Not only did I get some awesome professional advice, but the conference format of rotating seats for each session allowed me to meet some very cool ladies who are riding their own blogging adventure. True to it's name, Bloggy Boot Camp was a hard core workout -- for my mind.  I learned a ton in eight hours.  At the end of the day, I was mentally exhausted yet fully recharged to "hit it" and move forward with this blogging career of mine. I could just feel those pesky doldrums fading away and that familiar enthusiasm returning. That was all it took: a day of learning, growing, new experiences  and new friends. "Seek and ye shall find." I sure did.  

What is your "go to" strategy for pulling yourself out of a rut?

*Editor's Note: My title is my original composition of a nifty little literary device known as Chiasmus - a Hebrew method where words or ideas are arranged in a certain order and then repeated in reverse order. Clever, huh?