I'm sure you've said it yourself - I know I have: "Why do I keep doing the same thing over and over?"
The first step toward change: WAKE UP, eyes wide open, and REALIZE YOU'RE IN A RUT. Yes, I had to realize that, and I know it's not easy to admit, especially after all the reinforced convenience of having fallen into that rut.
Step 2, STAY AWAKE and START SIMPLY. Make one deliberate change to one particular behavior pattern. My own example: last year I set a goal of hitting 11,000 miles on the bike. I was so close in 2022 (10,880 miles). Really? 120 miles short? So I chased last year and got it - but at a significant time expense.
New Year's Day this year, I flipped the switch. Yes, I need to stay in shape, but I know I can do that and still be a relatively normal human being. That "switch flipped" meant Jan. 1, 2024, no bike ride but taking a good walk instead.
And then I followed up with step 3: KEEP THE "CHANGE" DRIVE ALIVE. That meant alternating riding with walking, making shorter rides more purposeful with intervals - alternating higher heart rate pedaling with cruising pedaling - and deliberately taking different roads to make the scenery and some hill challenges more interesting.
Yes, there's good reason to age old proverb "Variety is the spice of life", and I've adapted well to that when it comes to moving my body daily. Give it a shot. I hope it does the same for you.
Ha! But there's a double edged sword to variety and spice that can kicked in and add change in other parts of life, not always as expected.
Sound familiar to you, too? More about that darn soon.