Routines
Crutch or guide?
Everybody has a routine, whether it is large or small. It could be a daily routine, to make sure you complete tasks in a day. It may also be a work routine, to make sure you achieve your targets in order. It may even be social, such as how you interact with friends or how you approach an activity. However, does a routine make us complacent?
I am a person who loves routines. Whatever stage in life I am, whatever job I have, I always find a routine that works, which helps me achieve what I want from each day and which feels achievable. It dictates what time I get up, when I leave the house, how long I take with each step of my day, and when I return home. For as long as I can remember, I have found a routine that I have fell into, either by design (to fit around work/school) or on a day off, to make sure I fill my 24 hours with all my to dos.
But, it can be to my detriment. Eventually, the routine becomes boring, it becomes tedious. Knowing I’m getting up at a certain time, knowing I will be approaching tasks in a specific way, it makes me feel static — like I’ve fell into a rut. This completion of tasks in order and in the same way makes every single one feel like a chore, like it is mandatory.
I’ve mentioned this in a previous article, that my constant categorising of things means anything fun becomes a tick on a checklist, and loses the fun aspect. Am I playing guitar today because I want to improve and learn something new, or am I playing in order to say I’ve practiced today? Does watching an episode of this TV show bring me joy, or am I trying to finish it so it’s one less thing to do? This mindset can ruin your personal enjoyment of things.
Another aspect of a routine which is negative is the fact that you feel like your life is not progressing. You look at yourself one day and wonder how you got to this point. I think my articles all have interconnecting themes, the idea of a 9–5 scares me in some ways, because getting into a routine makes me realise I am getting older and more like the dull adults I used to joke about with my friends when I was a kid.
Even now, having been in my new job for a month, I have already found a snug routine which I stick to subconsciously — I always seem to have a salad Wednesdays and Fridays, I always drop off my lunch and fill my water before going to the bathroom and starting my work. These are almost involuntary motions, but I do them all the same.
Now, as previously discussed, routines are not so bad. They allow us to make sure we achieve what we need to in time and in the right manner. For example, my routine of waking up at 7 everyday means I get to work on time, whereas changing this routine and waking up at 7:30 would make me late. What scares me is the idea I am becoming another drone, which sounds ridiculous and very pretentious, but it’s true.
As mentioned in my previous article, I don’t want to be another piece of grass in the field. I don’t want to become an automated robot who never changes, as I’m sure most people would agree. We strive to stand out, to make connections with people, to have a uniqueness to us. That can sometimes come across as attention seeking, but I would rather try and be seen than to blend in.
What I’m trying to say is, a routine is totally acceptable, as long as you try and spice it up. Try a new food, drive a different route, wear something at the back of the wardrobe. You can maintain a routine perfectly well and still try and freshen it up. I hope in the next few months, I can break out of my routine and give myself some new experiences.
