i could stay in a rut my whole life as long as i still enjoyed playing
there's no reason to give up, until it's not fun.
ruts come and go constantly for me, it's like a couple of weeks i don't feel like playing much, then a couple of weeks the opposite
i tried incorporating a hard 5 hour a day workout once which lasted for a week but then i just lost interest
there's a line you have to draw i think...
too much 'training' and you can't be bothered picking up the guitar for more enjoyable stuff
BTW, inspiration tends to override everything(like the new Steve Vai DVD )
and you find yourself mixing training with fun even more than usual!
and yeah, joining a band is one of the best things a muso can get involved in
it'll up your inspiration, practice, enjoyment and inevitably your skills.