Does it sometimes feel like you’re just going through the motions? A big part of getting stuck can be following the same routine every day. We may get up at the same time, eat the same breakfast, take the same routes when we travel. Sometimes we’re operating on autopilot. When I’m stuck in a routine, I’m not really thinking and I’m certainly neither happy nor creative. I know that it’s time for a change.

On place to start shifting is to be sure that your morning routine includes exercise and reflection or meditation. If you’re already doing this, experiment with new techniques. One very successful coach begins each day by asking, “What will make today wonderful?” it sets a positive tone. She ends her day by listing three gifts, miracles, or special moments the day brought her. Another pulls a card from a tarot deck to focus her meditation. Some decks, like the Osho Zen tarot, are available on your phone. YouTube has thousands of short meditation videos and there are many books and websites with short meditations. Exercise in the morning sets you up for the day. There are endless choices – walking, yoga, chair exercises – just do something to get the blood circulating.

Shift your perspective. There are all kinds of simple ways to do this. If you take the same route to work every day, switch it up. Getting off a station earlier or later provides a different environment. Notice the differences in what you see. Note stores or restaurants that you might want to visit. Are the people you see different from those on your regular route? Matt Green walked every street in New York City and documented his walks in a blog. Try something new – explore a different area, go to a museum. Find some of the smaller ones like the Dog Museum or the Museum of Moving Images or the Chinatown Museum in New York. What are your local gems? Work your way through a list of food or event recommendations.

Broaden your horizon. Take a course. My sister-in-law is three years into an online French course. I start the day with two puzzles in the Times. Club Free Time provides a daily list of free activities. There are book clubs, knitting clubs, writing classes, community groups and volunteer programs. In many places, you can have a community garden of your own or help maintain a larger one.

In problem solving, there’s a point during a brainstorm when the group becomes stuck. What propels them forward is breaking set – coming up with a response that is unique, maybe even silly. This sparks a new flow of ideas. The same principle applies to our lives. When you are feeling bogged down, shake things up! Break set. You’ll be happy that you did.