If you’d have asked me last year how I felt about the idea of having a routine, you probably would have received a profanity-laced tirade of epic proportions. Last year my routine was so dull that I get bored just thinking back on it. I’d wake up, drive to work, sit at my desk for 9 hours, maybe do a happy hour, but then come back and hang out on the couch for the rest of the night.
Rinse and Repeat.
This went on month after month and eventually it takes its toll on you. One person can only handle so much monotony. It’s a slippery slope too. Getting out of habits such as that, are much, much more difficult than falling into them. I still remember how good it felt to go workout at 8 in the morning on the first day after leaving my job (I don’t think the terror of what I’d done had set in at that point).
What I’m getting to with all of this is that for a long time, I despised the routine. However, I’m realizing that it wasn’t the idea of the routine that I hated, it was just the specific pattern that I’d found myself in.
Life is a lot better when this is part of my routine
Now that I’m back in Portland, one of the things I’ve realized is that if I’m going to be as productive as I want to be, some kind of routine is going to be necessary. I’ve got two options:
- Fall back into a drab, boring cycle of sitting in front of my computer all day, everyday. This may even be worse, since now I don’t even have anyone to socialize with like I did in an office.
- Set a routine that allows me to get work done during my most productive hours of the day, while planning other stuff around it.
I’m writing this, because I’ve experienced a little bit of both since I’ve been back. There have been a couple days where I’ve sat at home in front of my computer for close to 10 hours, and as much as I hate to admit it, probably only worked for a third of the time. This obviously doesn’t work. In my efforts to be more productive by spending more time at my computer, I’m actually killing the productivity. It’s funny how that works.
Then there are the rest of the days. The ones where I work around 6 hours in the morning and then schedule something in the afternoons or evenings. Whether it’s a work related meeting, a photography shoot, or just hanging out with friends, doing this doubles the 3 or so hours of productivity I have when I just sit around all day.
When I know I have some place to be, I’m much more diligent about actually getting stuff done, because I know I won’t have the opportunity later on.
When you feel like you can put something off, you will. Or at least thats been my experience.
So what does this have to do with a routine? Previously, I used to think of routine as a bad word. The one I’d fallen into was so far from ideal, that I took any concept of the term and gave it a negative connotation. When the reality is that a routine can be extremely beneficial as well. Whether its simply making a pot of coffee each morning, writing down the next days to-do list each night, or scheduling activities every afternoon – these are all part of my new routine. Just because you have a healthy routine doesn’t mean that everyday is the same. Now that I realize this, I’m much more apt to stick to what is currently working.
Having now both experienced exact opposite lifestyles in the past year (desk job vs. Bangkok life), its my goal to find the balance between the two now. I probably won’t be out until sunrise each morning like was sometimes the case in Thailand, but I also can’t allow myself to succumb to a self imposed desk job either. Finding the balance between the two lives and recognizing that I have the freedom to shape everyday to my liking, can be a challenge – granted one I’m extremely thankful to have.
Take this opportunity to think about your routine. Is it helping or hurting your productivity and mindset? What are the things you do on a regular basis that really help you to succeed and operate at a high level. Tell us about it in the comments!
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I love my routine in my non-work hours. I think I’ve found a really good balance of productivity and grand fun with people I love. But at work, I’m still fussing with a good, healthy, enjoyable routine. One think I AM doing is using my morning and afternoon breaks to drop everything and go for a 15 minute walk. It does wonders for my sense of well-being and helps me endure being cooped up at the computer for hours.
Great stuff Sean. It’s funny that you wrote about this, because I was just having a similar discussion with my wife the other night. I tend to be routine oriented myself, like eating breakfast each Tuesday at the same joint for the past 6 years. I spend that time by myself reading, reflecting and thinking of ways to work ON my business, rather than work IN my business. This has been an essential discipline for the growth of my business… and the food ain’t half bad. However, there is also a side of me who wishes to rebel against the “monotony” of my days, as I too find myself sometimes going through the motions at work. I may appear busy to those around me, but like you mentioned, I am not really being productive as I could be with my time. Finding a balance is certainly key.
I’m right there with ya Sean.
I’m actually much more productive with SOME sort of routine as long as the routine is something you have some sort of control over.
In other words, I find I do best when I control my routine is, rather than the routine controlling what I do.
Hey Sean…I think to some extent we are all creatures of habit. There is a certain level of comfort in doing the same thing day after day and I think this feeling of comfort becomes more personally acceptable the older a person becomes. I think the important thing is to ask yourself why you do the same things day after day. If it offers alternatives to keep you fresh and interested then it’s probably a good thing. However, it’s easy to get caught up in a routine that offers nothing new.
For me I know that I am at my peak mid-morning and late at night (I’m a night owl) but unfortunately my current 8-5 gig doesn’t allow me to take advantage of my natural tendancies. In your case however you have some flexibility which is a good position to be in.
It’s a delicate balance, and you need a little bit of everything: spontaneity and routine; certainty and uncertainty; rest and activity; change and stability; growth and relaxation. I’m not a fan of “routine” either when it comes to the big picture. Someone once said “the difference between a rut and a grave is only a few feet”. When it starts killing your creativity and your enjoyment of life, it’s time to shake things up a bit. But part of mastering a skill, or managing a business is learning and practicing the techniques. That’s where structure comes in. But if the word “routine” puts you off, you can always try to substitute it with “discipline”, “practice”, “system”, “ritual”, “art” or “mojo”! The trick is keeping it fresh and staying in flow while doing it.
Yeah routine isn’t a bad word in itself but far worse it is to be stuck in a routine you hate. I respect your decision and the course you’ve chosen for your life, I right now am trying figure out how to get out of the that bad version of routine…
Sean,
I am traveling now, so my routine is very non-routine. But even back at home I find a Non-routine routine routine to be very energizing. By this I mean I will get out of the house and do work at other places. Starbucks of course is a big one, but sometimes to the beach, the library, even chilling on a buddies couch. Having some sort of amount of work that needs to be accomplished each day but getting out and keeping it “fresh”
Steve
I am getting better and better at this. After our talk a few months back, I have tried to focus by way of list. It has helped a lot. Focusing on a task is the best way I have found to get things done. I know Karol Gajda and Leo Babauta hate lists but for some of us they work out well.
David Damron
Sean,
You mean you didn’t like working a 9-6 office job followed by a happy hour of watered down cocktails and $1 PBRs everyday? I find that hard to believe…
I completely agree. Everything in moderation – routines are GREAT – as long as they are HEALTHY & FLEXIBLE.
The routine I’ve been trying to implement is a killer morning routine to get my day started. If I start my day off just browsing the internet mindlessly I am much less productive the rest of the day. But if I start it off with a workout, good music, some Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and a more structured schedule of what happens when I 1st turn on the computer then I’m on Fire the rest of the day.
… now I just need to figure out how to be a morning person to do it – a difficult task being I’m a Zombie in the morning haha.
Thanks for the good post. Much enjoyed.
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