Consider this:

How To Climb Out Of A Grand-Canyon-Deep Rut

Out on the trail with my dog a few weeks back, I crossed paths with a pal who I haven’t seen in much too long. She commutes daily to her 9-5 job, so I was surprised to find her out and about during work hours. She was taking advantage of a rare day working from home by gulping deep breaths of crisp fresh air.

“It feels so good to be out here,” my friend said as we huffed our way up a steep grade. “I’ve been stuck in a rut as deep as the Grand Canyon.”

That image – a Grand-Canyon-deep rut – has stayed with me. I’ve been trapped in such trenches myself. Whether it’s a rut or simply routine, I know it can suck the creative, energizing, invigorating life force out of the best of us. With that in mind, here are a few ideas that have helped me crawl out of more than one deep crevasse. If you’re feeling stuck, maybe one of these eight suggestions will serve as the toehold you need to clamber out of the dark trough and back into the warm, bright light.

Make art in public. Schedule a hot date with yourself at a local gallery or museum. Wander through the rooms and get lost in the myriad colors, shapes and images. When a piece of art catches your eye, grab a seat nearby. Pull out the pencil and notebook you brought along for the occasion and start drawing what you see. Rut-busters challenge: try sketching with your non-dominant hand.

Clean. Purge. Repeat. I do not particularly enjoy daily house cleaning. But occasionally I find it pretty darn satisfying to get my literal and figurative house in order by tackling clutter and disarray in a room, a closet or even a single drawer. Once I start, I often end up on a several-day tear, and no area or item is safe from my urge to purge. (By the way, this stands in stark contrast to my husband, who for years kept the first 200 checks he’d ever written for sentimental purposes. Out, out, damn checks!) Rut-busters challenge: check out a video of Marie Kondo, the reigning queen of tidying up, folding socks. Now it’s your turn.

Change your hair. My hairdresser is always suggesting I part my hair on the opposite side of my head. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with slowing my alarming progression of grays, not to shake up my worldview. Regardless, I find the very thought of changing my part so impossible that I figure anyone who dares it will be halfway to a whole new perspective on life. Rut-busting challenge: add a stripe of color or change your hairstyle altogether.

Cook something new. Is there any deeper rut than the one that keeps us preparing the same meals, week after week? Whether you’re inspired by an ingredient you’ve never used or by a recipe you’ve never tried, shake things up in the kitchen by spreading your culinary wings. Rut-busting challenge: invite over some friends (I recommend your most forgiving ones) to try your new dish and maybe share a new creation of their own.

Look back – and up. Next time you’re trudging along your daily route – the one that’s so familiar you could walk it blindfolded – stop. Turn around and look around. Get ready to notice things you’ve never seen, even though you’ve passed them countless times. Want to shock your brain even more? Look up. Rut-busters challenge: if you can do it safely, try walking backward for a stretch. Your eyes, and your brain, may appreciate the challenge.

Try genre-bending. We all have our favorite, go-to genre of books. I promise that your favorite author will not be upset if you climb out of your reading rut – even briefly – to read something entirely new and different: a book of poems, say, or a young adult novel or a collection of essays. Rut-busters challenge: don’t just read a poem, write one.

Skip the movie. See a show. I’m always up for seeing a movie, but nothing quite compares to watching a live performance. It may take a little more effort and planning, but just about every time I’ve opted to attend a play, comedy show, musical, poetry slam or a live music gig, I’ve been wowed in one way or another. Nothing against an evening of popcorn and Milk Duds, of course, but why not step out of your entertainment-comfort-zone for a change? Rut-busting challenge: invite a friend who rarely sees live theater to join you for an adventurous evening.

Create something. Anything. Build. Sew. Draw. Paint. Twist. Color. Saw. Weave. Tape. Quilt. Hammer. Cut. Braid. Stitch. Fasten. Bend. Tear. Glue. Crochet. Hot glue. Join. Bend. Knit. Snap. Undo. Redo. Rut-busters challenge: bedazzle.

What are you waiting for? Go bust a rut!

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Cook this:

Crockpot Lemon & Dill Chicken Soup

In the spirit of practicing what we preach, I just cooked up an all-new recipe I inherited from my friend Anne. I had this yummy, nourishing soup for lunch today. I may have another bowl for dinner – it’s that good!

Crockpot Lemon & Dill Chicken Soup

1-2 Tbs olive oil
1 medium leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise, half-inch thick (Note: I highly recommend sautéing the leeks and celery first in a saucepan and then adding to the crockpot.)
1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise, half-inch thick
2 lbs organic boneless skinless chicken (use thighs if you prefer dark meat)
6 cups low sodium organic chicken broth
Kosher sea salt to taste
¼ cup fresh dill, chopped
Lemon halves (I probably used at least ¼ cup of fresh Myer lemon juice)

Heat oil in large heavy pot over low-medium heat. Add leeks and celery and cook until soft, stirring often, about 10-12 minutes.
Add sautéed veggies, chicken and broth, plus half the dill and half the lemon juice to the crockpot. Season with salt and pepper.

Set your crockpot to 6-8-hours cooking time. Go merrily about your day. Several hours later, remove the chicken, shred it with a fork, and then add back into the soup. Add remaining dill and lemon juice (to taste). Before serving, garnish with a sprinkle of dill and splash of lemon juice.

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Read this:

Our Year In Books

In the spirit of “get out of your reading rut,” here’s my booklist from this year. Thanks to my library’s 2016 book challenge, I read 24 award-winning books (marked with an asterisk) across a variety of genres. (I read a few others, too.) I enjoyed narrative nonfiction, young adult, humor, biography, memoir, fiction, children’s books and foreign-language translations. If you’re looking for inspiration when choosing your next book, maybe this list will help.

1. Circling The Sun by Paula McLain
2. My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl
3. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
4. Not That Kind Of Girl by Lena Dunham
5. *Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
6. Permission by Nicole Miller
7. On The Edge by Alison Levine
8. Playing Big by Tara Mohr
9. *The Bone People by Keri Hulme
10. Do You Talk Funny? by David Nihill
11. *Catherine The Great by Robert Massie
12. My Year Of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
13. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
14. *Flora And Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo
15. Max: Best Friend, Hero, Marine by Jennifer Li Shotz
16. *Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
17. *The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
18. Show your work! by Austin Kleon
19. *Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie
20. *The Vegetarian by Han Kang
21. *The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson
22. *The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson
23. *Finding Winnie: The True Story Of The World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick
24. *The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
25. *The Narrow Road To The Deep North by Richard Flanagan
26. *Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
27. *We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas
28. *The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
29. *Half Empty by David Rakoff
30. *Quite Enough Of Calvin Trillin by Calivin Trillin
31. *Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
32. *Out Of The Dust by Karen Hesse
33. *Man At The Helm by Nina Stibbe
34. *On the Move: A Life by Oliver Sacks
35. *Walk Two Moons by Susan Creech
36. The Assistants by Camille Perri
37. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
38. Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris
39. *Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
40. Island Of A Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera
41. The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
42. The Accidental Life by Terry McDonell
43. The Getaway Car by Ann Patchett
44. The Girls by Emma Cline
45. The Most of Nora Ephron by Nora Ephron
46. Kitchens Of The Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
47. Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty
48. Commonwealth by Anne Patchett
49. Dress Your Family In Corduroy And Denim by David Sedaris
50. Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran
51. The Trespasser by Tana French
52. Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen