There are two things you need to know about me for this message to make any sense:

I like to go for a walk / run in the mornings. I don’t always do it, but I wish I did. My hyperactive dog, Ruby, really really likes to come with me. I definitely go faster when she comes along.
This time of year, the sun comes up too late to do this safely. Where I live, there are no street lights or sidewalks. The traffic isn’t heavy but it isn’t zero.

Due to the recent morning darkness, Ruby and I had to stop our morning runs and she made it clear that she was unhappy about it. Our neighbors have a nice pond and gave us permission to walk around it in the mornings. We began “Walking in the Dark” and learned some lessons.

Lessons from Walking in the Dark

Slow Down: The physical exertion is certainly less when walking slowly, carefully, minding every step; but the mental exertion is far greater. I have found that after my first few “walks in the dark”, my brain was tired. Not sure what I was stepping on, not sure what I just heard, wondering if the boogey man was watching. This new mental warm-up has a way of kick-starting my day.
Keep one eye dark-adapted: I have a vague memory of a scene in a movie where a cowboy kept one eye closed all day preparing for a nighttime skirmish. I tried it - It works! I try to keep one eye closed while getting dressed and by the time I make it to the pond, I can see in the dark. This reminds me of the importance of keeping something in reserves; financially, mentally, physically and spiritually.
Something lives beside ponds (frogs - I think). They make splashes as you walk near them - piercing through the quietness in a violent way. You get used to it.
You can see more stars than you can imagine when it’s really dark outside and you’re dark adapted.
A full moon in a clear sky is almost like day time. Shadows and everything.
A full moon when cloudy also lights up the sky but in a cool and weird way. The clouds seem to diffuse the light and illuminate like each one is a source of light on its own. Sometimes it is hard to know where the moon even is.

This forced change of morning routine has been a welcome one.

It is not surprising for me to find myself in a rut - the drudgery of going through the routine of daily life. The same pressures, the same little successes, the same drive, the same conversations.

During a rut, it is tough to find the motivation to make the necessary changes to make things better.

It is surprising however to realize how small changes to routines can help break me out of a rut. This new walking routine was not designed to get me out of this rut. But by beginning each new day with a different, slower, more careful perspective, I am approaching my days differently and feel myself coming out of the rut.

It’s not always easy to recognize when you are in a rut. Nothing is wrong, necessarily. Nothing is broken. If you are finding yourself grumbling about your day to day activities, if you are finding it harder to get out of bed in the mornings, you may be in a rut. If you aren’t laughing like you normally do or wish your family and friends would just “leave you alone”, you are probably in a rut.

The anecdote for an early rut is to make a simple change to your routine. Walking in the Dark was an accidental “rut-buster” for me (I love it when that happens). Others that have worked is a new lunch routine, a new way into the office or listening to a more upbeat music station.

The earlier you try it, the better.

I actually find myself dreading the upcoming time change. So is Ruby.