What do our routines say about us?

In the words of American writer Will Durant, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Durant’s words provide an interesting perspective on the idea of a routine – the daily tasks that comprise our lives, that help form our sense of self. But what happens when our habits fail us? That is, what happens when we fall out of our regular routine? 

I’m someone who loves routine: the daily habits (washing my face twice a day, listening to a podcast as I get ready for work, having my mid-morning coffee) and also the broader, more impactful practices (exercising 5 times a week, seeing my friends on Friday night, planning the week ahead on a Sunday morning).  

As someone who loves routine and struggles with change, whenever my routine is thrown off kilter, whether due to work commitments, personal issues, or a myriad of other factors, I feel like my whole life is turned upside down. It’s only by returning to my routine that I feel like I’ve regained a self of self, or more specifically, like I’ve regained my purpose, my value, my ability to exist with meaning. 

We imbue our routines with so much importance, as though the idea of productivity, planning, and organisation somehow make us more worthy of joy and success. But the reality is our lives are made up of various, often competing elements: our sleep and exercise habits, our diets, our mental health, our work and study obligations, and our relationships and social activities. All of these things are important, and all require time and energy in order to thrive, but the reality is, no person can be expected to give equal amounts of time and energy to all of those things all of the time; we’ll simply burn out. 

So, to prevent burnout, I’m advocating for routines with a twist: make them flexible and driven by intuition rather than rote custom. Don’t retreat from change; encourage it. Enjoy the different seasons of your life without pressure, stress, or guilt. You’re fine just as you are, whatever that might be on any given day.