A routine gets you somewhere. A rut is a routine that forgot where it was going.

The structure is identical in both cases, which is why the difference is so hard to see from inside. A routine is aimed, and the repetition serves something you chose. A rut is what remains when the aim quietly fell off and the habit kept running, and it can continue for years without anything visibly breaking.

Take one of your regular patterns and ask what it is currently for. If there is a clear answer, keep it and stop apologising for how dull it looks. If there is not, change one element and see whether you miss it.