After taking my daughter to the theater to see Scream 6, we have been watching the Scream series from the beginning. The movies intentionally follow a pattern—it’s sort of a theme in the movies, after all. It has me thinking about routines—how we can be trapped by them.
In general, routines are good things. We should, for example, be in a routine of brushing our teeth after every meal (or at least morning and night). Having an exercise routine is good (generally speaking). For some behaviors, however, routine can be wearing a ghost mask.
Merriam-Webster defines routine as “a regular course of procedure; habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure.” Those who have a growth-mindset can likely see the trap. Routine and habit are fixed behaviors. Things we do with little to no thought or progression. In some cases, we can get into doing the wrong things as routine. When exercise, for example, we might do the same intensity and volume every session or training period. There is no overload (for a body system to adapt, it must be challenged to a level greater than that to which it is accustomed). Without progressive overload there is no improvement. Routine can be counter to the principle of kaizen (i.e., constant improvement).
Ask yourself: “Are my daily routines making me better today than I was yesterday?” An overall daily routine can certainly benefit us (e.g., a routine bedtime and wake up time, scheduled exercise, consistent diet and mealtimes, journaling, health and grooming habits, etc.). Self-imposed daily challenging healthy activities (SIDCHA; see my other posts on the topic or visit https://joshuaspodek.com/sidchas-the-series) can certainly benefit us, though not necessarily progressive. The key to this question is “better today than I was yesterday.” If there is no personal growth resulting from the routine, it is just a pattern. Don’t let your life be a programmed loop. Eliminate the unhealthy habits, establish healthy patterns, and fail forward. In other words, let your new habits challenge you beyond your comfort zone and….
Be your best today; be better tomorrow.
Carpe momento!