Breaking Routine

Disciple is a part of who I am. From very young I have participated in ballet, organized clubs, and very competitive sports never breaking the routine. They’ve always provided structure for me- so much so that I never had to think about what I was to do next. For over 15 years (more than half of my adult like), I’ve had at least 12 hours of my life scheduled. Discipline is ingrained in me. So much so that not having a routine is sometimes problematic for me.

Anxiety arises and I become unproductive. More often than not, I get distracted by trivial things that lead me to boredom and unhealthy behaviors. I need to know what I am doing and when I am doing it.

I keep at least 3 calendars, one on my phone, one on my laptop, and a written one because I still like pen and paper (I know, so dated).

When I start my day, I write down a list of things to do and order them with a level of priority. As I complete each one, I check them off and evaluate the order of priorities as other tasks come up in the day. At the end of the day, I schedule deadlines that need to happen within in the week’s time and schedule times in which I attend to complete each task. It’s a never-ending cycle. And while the clarity brings me comfort and allows me to manage my time well, sometimes I get burnt out.

And you know what I do then?

I scrap the schedule! It’s may of pressing reset. I don’t open the calendars, I only priorities major projects and I deal with issues as they become due. Other than that, I take new routines and walk away from things that begin to feel monotonous.

As much as I love writing and sharing my experiences, sometimes the work that goes into it makes that very thing less appealing. For example, blogging. Writing on a schedule gets boring. It dulls creativity. Sometimes the words just aren’t there. To make sure I can walk away without my blog getting stale. I blog post to be scheduled in the future. When I am having a good writing day, I may write 3 or 4 posts at a time and schedule them for the future. That gives me leeway should I need to take a creative hiatus and start breaking the routine.

So when you need to, break it! Breaking routine allows for new feelings and experiences. It allows you to recharge and start anew. Don’t feel compelled to disciplined all the time.

Break your routine this week and see what fun may come of it.