The best thing you can do about a rut in my experience is to get back on the horse immediately. “I’ll do it next week” quickly spirals into months and years.
When you set the date for getting back on the horse do it no matter what. But give yourself permission to do the bare minimum and suck at it.
I feel enlightened reading this. Will definitely keep this in mind as a handy reminder to help me understand my occasional ruts and remember the solution.
I guess that's not always realistic? And, more importantly, I'm not sure I like the idea of taking a 'fear-based approach' to solving this ("if I lapse for even a week during a vacation, I'll never be able to get back on track"), even though I understand the logic. Somehow that strikes me as an uncomfortable way to live.
You're overthinking with hypotheticals that aren't relevant.
It isn't lapsing for a week if you were in a rut in the lead up.
Staying in that rut isn't a healthy way to live either. The alternative is to get out of the rut. Blaming fear as a roadblock is a separate issue, entirely.
When you set the date for getting back on the horse do it no matter what. But give yourself permission to do the bare minimum and suck at it.
Ruts are largely fear based.