and now, back to our regularly scheduled programming

learning to be okay with routine

In college, I was never a person of routine. The most regularity I had to my schedule was classes and the weekly org meetings I attended. But even so, that usually made up at most five or six hours of my day. Some of my friends had carved out their calendars to fit in daily workouts, sleeping, cooking/eating, or studying, but you would rarely see any of those words on my calendar. And while my hours slept and meals eaten suffered, I had no regrets. Having an open schedule meant endless opportunities of spontaneity and the ability to say yes to any happening (an introvert or type A planner’s nightmare but alas I am neither).

It’s weird how quickly life can change, though. Long gone are the days of baking in the middle of the afternoon for an org meeting or walking back to my apartment at 3 AM from friends’ apartments. Working a 9-5 unfortunately quells much spontaneity and requires a more scheduled life. Even me, the person who never slept before 3 AM, is being humbled by corporate life. Having so few available hours (and energy in those hours), I’m realizing that I have to be more routine in my schedule and prioritize what I want to do on the weekdays, but frankly, routine scares me. I’m scared of looking back in the future wondering what I did with all my time only to regret having such a scheduled life.

Yet, I’m reminding myself that routine doesn’t equate to stagnation or mundaneness that lacks intentionality. A healthy routine is merely a framework to help intentionally pursue a goal slowly, but surely. It establishes regular rhythms of growth that might not have the highs of dopamine hits but instead create checkpoints in a long journey of life.

I used to be scared of turning into someone whose identity became work and routine. That person whose answer to “What’d you do this week” is “Oh I just worked, went to the gym, meal prepped, and watched this TV show.” But now, I’m warming up to the idea that not every day has to be exciting or life-changing. The work/gym/meal prep days make grabbing a meal with a friend, going to a concert, or even just baking some cookies all the more meaningful.