When to breakaway from a routine ?
Even the best routines can be boring after some time.
Let me start with a confession,
- I am an avid reader & practitioner of personal development techniques.
- After many experiments, I closed on a perfect morning routine and followed it for two years.
- It was life-changing and super effective
- But off late, it has become monotonous and a burden!
- If I skip, I feel guilty. When I do, I don’t feel the same excitement!
Do you feel the same?
Let me share some of my experiments and observations. I would like to hear your comments on how you manage such situations.
The need for a routine in life
I don’t think we need a debate on this topic. People who follow a morning routine knows the benefits. People who don’t do it will never understand its beauty either. Many books are written on this topic. 5 AM clubs, Power of Habit, Atomic Habits etc etc. All of them teach the importance of having a well-balanced routine in life. I start the day with a 90 min morning routine comprising Walking (and listening to an audiobook), yoga, meditation, and a few mins of planning for the day. It works magically for me. My energy levels are up, most of my plans work well, and I feel fit than ever before.
“Success is the product of daily habits — not once in a lifetime transformations.” James Clear.
When can a routine become a burden?
The human mind craves novelty. It is true even in the context of super-effective routines that we build to make our lives better. After some days / months / years, these routines lose their sparkle, and our minds start craving for a change. I felt it every couple of months and made slight variations in how I do meditation or the type of audiobooks I hear. So I managed to survive for two years. But now, it has become a burden. I feel stressed, and many days I skip. But then the guilty feeling is too much to bear.
When a routine kills creativity
Creative thoughts emerge in our minds when we allow them to wander effortlessly beyond our regular work & routines. Most of my high-impact ideas came in during my morning routine as I let my mind wander in a less pressurized environment. When the habits take us over, and we become like machines, our creative space shrinks. Once creativity fades away, our lives become less exciting, and it is a downward spiral. Can we reverse it?
Reinvent the routine without losing the benefits
It is apparent that an effective morning routine sets the stage for a beautiful day and life. So we can’t break away from it. Creative reinvention is the necessary path forward to keep it exciting and sustainable.
Incremental changes?
I tried it, and it worked initially and helped me to manage for two years. But not anymore!
Strategic break?
As the famous Hedonic Adaptation theory by Micheal Eysenck explains, “Too much of a good thing is never good. Think of ways to keep people in a state of permanent, slight hunger, and they will love you for it.” Even though my routines were highly effective once unless I felt the hunger again and could appreciate its value, I couldn’t get happiness from it. So am trying to take a 2-week break.
Drastic changes?
Looking for a complete overhaul of the routine. Starting with a clean slate. Asking fundamental questions on
Why do I need a routine?
What is the outcome expected?
Maybe I need to meditate and read a book in the morning for 1 hour and have my exercises in the evening?
I am still thinking!
But I am afraid of losing my routine and its benefits too. The mind works in strange ways !. Loss aversion kicked in
“If we could be freed from our aversion to loss, our whole outlook on risk would change.” Alan Hirsh
Have you been in such a situation?
Do share your thoughts in the comments.
