I have been told on many occasions that my routine oriented, habitual nature is a little extreme. I find peace in routine and know what I like… so, if it ain’t broke… don’t fix it… right? I have to admit that in real life, keeping a strict routine is not always realistic and in some cases can become a destructive and selfish habit. I had a very bad habit of needing to work out at a specific time during the day and I trained my mind to feel anxious and upset if I was not able to work out, uninterrupted, at said time (I’m embarrassed even writing this now but it’s the unfortunate truth). This is not a good habit when you have a wife and two kids that would like your attention and god forbid go to the Farmer’s Market or grab breakfast on Saturday morning before Dad goes for a run. This, plain and simple, is selfish and toxic to your relationship.
That being said, there is something to say about having the discipline, willpower and focus to create and adhere to routines… whether that be work outs, date nights, designated work times, learning a new trade/language or meditating. Routines teach your mind accountability and staying accountable to yourself is a great test of discipline. I think discipline is a word that gets a bad rap for eliciting images of unmovable structure that lacks any enjoyment. But dreams are built on discipline… discipline is built on habits… habits are built on training and training takes place in every single second and every situation of your life. How you wash the dishes… how you drive your car… how you present something at school or work. You either do your best all the time or you don’t… if the behavior has not been trained and practiced, then the “switch”… that, “this is a big moment in my life and I need to show up for it” switch, will not be there when you need it. If you have created the habitual, productive behaviors in your daily life that prepare you to be mentally and physically “ready” for a given situation… you will find genuine comfort in your discipline and will enjoy positive results to your endeavors.
Inside prison, these disciplined, habitual traits are crucial to success. Every single aspect of life inside revolves around a strict schedule… controlled moves, designated areas where you can and cannot be (termed “In bounds or Out of Bounds”), specific foods on specific days at specific times, counts, inspections… on and on and on. If an “inmate” does not train himself to have a disciplined, conscious mindset regarding every decision during his day… he opens himself up to potential negative disciplinary actions for not being in the right place at the right time or at a minimum, large blocks of excruciating boredom because he has no structure to his day and seemingly nothing to do to productively fill the hours. And boredom equals depression in here. That is a fact. Even in the real world, I think we can all agree that our overall demeanor is better when we feel like our days are filled with productive activities… when we accomplish something. And being productive requires discipline… discipline requires training and training requires a consciously followed routine.
So, set some goals… create a schedule (that allows for adequate family time) and be disciplined enough to stick to it. As your goals get accomplished, you will find that you grow to enjoy your routines and discipline surrounding them. Then, slowly but surely, we can begin to de-bunk the negative stigma around the notion of “disciplined routines” being a bad thing.
Or maybe I am just trying to justify my crazy routine oriented brain… I’ll let you be the judge.