Rut or happy routine?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I'm a child of the 60s. A free spirit. Unfettered. I worked the second shift (4-12), because I refused to wake up to an alarm clock. No ruts!!!!!!
Well, now, I get up at the same time. I have the same breakfast, at the same time, while I watch reruns of "Perry Mason". I had to buy the "PM" CD set to watch on Sat. & Sun.
So, what do you think-rut or routine? How about you? Are you in a rut or routine?
 

When I was working 3 days/wk at local hospital,I would get up around 5:30am have breakfast and walk 8 blocks to work.I did this for 27 yrs.
When I retired in 2011 it took me about 6-8 months not to get up that hour even though I'm a 'early bird'.My 1st walk of the day is usually around 6:30-6:45am
I have a routine that I've 'tweaked' each yr.I read the NYT when I'm eating my lunch,always have a nap afterwards before I take my last walk of the day.I don't turn the TV on until late afternoon.
Its a routine not a rut for me Sue
 
I'm in neither..I'm a free spirit. yes routine when I was working in that I had to get up at the same time each morning and go to work, but I was lucky my job was not routine for the most part, most days were different, but on days off, none of my life was routine Since taking early retirement last year , I'm able to live my life exactly how I like it, and that is completely spontaneously...
 

Neither rut or routine for me, I do whatever I want, whenever ...

I actually miss working but could never go back to the routine of it or being told what to do, so I do voluntary work, as and when it suits me
 
I feel better when I have a familiar routine/rut even on those days that I don't follow it.

It provides a sort of baseline to measure the good days and the bad days against.

I really enjoy my quiet little life but I do understand that it would drive most people mad with boredom.
 
I don't have a routine though I do mostly miss having one it would help me keep the days straight if nothing else. :(

When I worked in healthcare, I worked various shifts, but worst was when I worked private duty 12 pm till 6am, pay was great, but, I had to go to go home change to get to a full day of college courses, this was five days a week. Thank goodness I had the weekends to myself. I've never liked the night shift, though I did it many a times when working in the health field. Preferred my corporate work routine, but enjoyed my healthcare work more. Had other jobs along the way that I looked forward to heading off to that were office jobs or govt jobs, my library job comes to mind, really enjoyed that one.

So I do miss having a routine, now my health issues dictate most of my routine, but, I need to not let it and take control, just aches and pains often are easier to give into and decide to stay in bed if I don't have plans. :( So guess I'm in a bit of a rut every so often.
 
Routine, which is also a rut. I blame it on Callie my cat, if ever there was an animal with such a routine it is she.
She wants me to sleep on my side so that she can cuddle up to me, tells me at 7:30 am that she is starving, even
though she had food available all night. She goes into the kitchen at 10:00pm wanted some food before going
to bed. Yes, she leads my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
 
In my mind, the difference between a rut and a routine is whether you're happy doing it. If you have a job or way of life you hate, it's a rut. If you love it, it's a routine, no matter what it involves. And, one person's rut could be another's routine.

I prefer a quiet life that might make someone else go bonkers.

Don
 
well said....we change from day to day and yet things remain the same.

Grampa Don said:
In my mind, the difference between a rut and a routine is whether you're happy doing it. If you have a job or way of life you hate, it's a rut. If you love it, it's a routine, no matter what it involves. And, one person's rut could be another's routine.

I prefer a quiet life that might make someone else go bonkers.

Don
Click to expand...
 
Grampa Don said:
In my mind, the difference between a rut and a routine is whether you're happy doing it. If you have a job or way of life you hate, it's a rut. If you love it, it's a routine, no matter what it involves. And, one person's rut could be another's routine.

I prefer a quiet life that might make someone else go bonkers.

Don
Click to expand...

I agree also. It’s a matter of perspective to the individuals themselves.

Like many here, I’m a free spirit. I make my own schedule and it changes to suite myself because I’ve made it that way.
My life is fairly simple but I enjoy it. I do however wish I were better at following a routine because I believe that humans do better with one.
 
By time the 60s came along I had been in and out of the Navy, had a wife, 2 kids and a mortgage. We mostly just ignored that "free spirit" stuff.
 
When I was working I felt like I was in a rut, but now that I'm retired it's a happy routine and I'm always free to change that at the spur of the moment.....life is good!
 
Only my opinion and definition;

A rut is a repetitive place one wishes not to be in
It takes up most of one’s waking day

A routine is a repetitive series of things one does due to the dictates of one’s position or situation
It doesn’t necessarily take up much of a day

I’ve been in ruts
But not for long
Even to the detriment of a decent situation
Life…is just too short

Nobody can tell you whether yer in a rut or it’s just a routine
You must tell yourself

The hope of retirement gets many out of ruts
It didn’t for me
I was too busy climbing out of a chasm

But

Once retired

Heh

I’ve found myself in ‘the rut’
The rut, derived from the Latin rugire (meaning "to roar")

It's a high place, mentally, physically, and spiritually

The routines I have now are moment by moment joys


I hope they never end

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tortiecat said:
Routine, which is also a rut. I blame it on Callie my cat, if ever there was an animal with such a routine it is she.
She wants me to sleep on my side so that she can cuddle up to me, tells me at 7:30 am that she is starving, even
though she had food available all night. She goes into the kitchen at 10:00pm wanted some food before going
to bed. Yes, she leads my life, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Click to expand...

Sounds about right, Bella and Buddy are the roomates here, they start the Im starving to death here routine a little earlier than your Callie,5:30-5:45.
Buddy was left to live on the street,he gets a little nervous.
Dry food is never looked at unless Im hot home.
They're both happy right now,the electric throw has made its appearance! Nice nap spot!
 
I've never been a living in a rut kind of person. I couldn't stand schedules or any of that sameness. Certain meals and sex never on a scheduled time. Thankfully my husband has always been on the same wavelength as me. Now as Oldsterism is setting in, I kind of want to be in a rut but my kids won't let me. Go here, go there mom, you must try this, do that. I know they don't want me to get old and just shrivel up but sometimes I feel like that's what I want to do. Today my daughter told me if I'll get back to doing my exercises that help me walk she'll take me to Vegas for a couple days. I have to admit, before I got on the computer tonight I did some of the exercises.
 
Grampa Don said:
In my mind, the difference between a rut and a routine is whether you're happy doing it. If you have a job or way of life you hate, it's a rut. If you love it, it's a routine, no matter what it involves. And, one person's rut could be another's routine.

I prefer a quiet life that might make someone else go bonkers. Don
Click to expand...
I agree completely and couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks, Don. Just to be clear, when I was working, for the most part, it was a rut. Since retiring, it is a routine. In a rut you do it because you have to, whether you like it or not, whether you want to or not. In a routine, you do it because you want to but can put if off if you'd like to. Ah, you know what I mean. Don...
 
To me, anyway, rut and routine are self-imposed. Ronni, at her age, has given me inspiration that it doesn't have to be that way.
 
Olivia said:
To me, anyway, rut and routine are self-imposed. Ronni, at her age, has given me inspiration that it doesn't have to be that way.
Click to expand...
I can see where a routine might be self imposed but a rut? The time when I was working rut wasn't within my control, had to go and do till I was in a position to retire. I don't see where that was self-imposed? Maybe I'm missing something? Don...
 
I could find have another job or career. Maybe that wasn't possible for you or anyone else. But for me it was. But I just wanted to feel comfortable and not challenged. That why I said "to me". I wasn't speaking for anyone else, although some others might have imposed the same things on themselves. You're happy with your marriage and love life. Some of us are unattached and want to be with someone, but we're too comfortable in our ruts to do something about it. I want to change that. That's why Ronni has inspired me in several different ways. I didn't mean for this to get so personal, but you asked.
 
Thanks for the clarification, Olivia. Much appreciated and I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable, I too didn't mean for it to get personal. Don...
 
I have been self-employed most of my life. I never had a set routine, and I still don't. If something interests me, I'll pursue it, learning along the way. I am settled down with a great gal, and we have some things we do on a fairly regular basis, like shopping and running other errands around town, but those are more akin to fun adventures, rather than being in a rut. I never understood how anyone could work the same gig for forty years, but I never thought negatively about those creatures of routine. It takes all kinds, as it's been said.
 
Macfan said:
Thanks for the clarification, Olivia. Much appreciated and I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable, I too didn't mean for it to get personal. Don...
Click to expand...

No problem, Don. Anyway, you got me to say what I really wanted to, anyway, but had stopped myself.

Edit: looking back, I should have said "For me" instead of "To me" to have made it clear I was only speaking for myself.
 

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