Are You Living in Groundhog Day?
How I broke the loop—and why you can, too.
You remember the movie Groundhog Day, right? Bill Murray is stuck reliving the same day over and over again. That storyline has become shorthand for what happens when life gets too predictable.
Wake up. Coffee. Emails. Errands. Rinse, repeat.
Someone once told me, “One person lives 90 years. Another lives one year 90 times.”
That stopped me cold. Because I knew exactly which one I was starting to become and which I wanted to be.
We don’t always realize it’s happening. The morning routines that never change. The dreams we delay until “next year” becomes next decade. The days that blur together until you can’t tell Tuesday from Thursday.
Routine isn’t the enemy—but when it becomes a rut, we stop living and start existing.
I’ve been there—weeks spent at my desk, buried in writing. Everything looked like productivity, but it felt like numbness. Then Gabby came into my life.
I wasn’t planning to get a dog. For years, people nudged me toward different rescue dogs, but nothing clicked. Then one day, my niece sent me a photo. I looked once—cute dog. I looked again—and felt something deep inside say, She’s the one. I’ve always believed God and the universe has sent me every dog I’ve ever had and I would wait until the right one arrived.
Her name is Gabby, a Brussels Griffon mix, and she has turned my world upside down in the best way.
She’s only been with me a month, and we’re still figuring each other out—commands, routines, our rhythm. But from day one, she broke the loop I was living in. Suddenly, I was outside again, walking 10,000 steps a day, pausing to notice the light in the trees, and watching her find joy in a stick, a scent, or meeting someone new. Things I hadn’t slowed down to notice in years.
She reminded me: Living fully isn’t about doing more. It’s about noticing more.
And here’s what I want you to hear—because it matters:
You don’t need a life overhaul. You don’t have to move to Bali or leap out of a plane.
Sometimes, one small shift changes everything.
Last week, I took a different walking route. One left turn led to a hidden garden, a new neighbor, and a conversation that changed the feel of my whole day. A friend of mine, 64, started swimming twice a week. It’s just one hour in the pool—but she’s glowing.
“It’s the first thing I’ve done just for me in years,” she told me.
Real change is often quiet. It’s moving your workspace so the light hits differently, signing up for the class you keep Googling, saying no to the to-do list, and yes to one hour of presence.
There’s no rulebook for life at 40, 60, or 75. You get to decide when it’s time to shift. One friend of mine started nursing school at 50. When someone asked if it was “worth it,” I just shook my head. Of course it was. She chose growth. She chose a new year, not the same one, over and over.
So let me ask you:
When was the last time your day surprised you?
When did you do something because it interested you, not because it was efficient or expected?
If you’re struggling to remember, that’s okay. You’re not broken. You’re just ready for a shift.
Start small:
- Take a different route.
- Try a new recipe.
- Call someone you’ve been meaning to.
- Sit in a different chair for your morning coffee.
You don’t need to burn your life down.
Just light one small fire—and follow the warmth. Live your life.
So, what’s your one small change this week? Reply and tell me. I read every one.