The implements of routine…
I have recently had a number of smart people tell me I need to establish a routine. Apparently, for someone like me (who gads about like a raven pecking at bits of aluminum foil in the bushes), it is important to have a plan and follow a path without variation.
The word “routine” sounds boring to me. Routine is like “regimen’s” cousin from Nebraska. It’s less about the short term “drill” (at which I am good) and more about buckling down for the long term (at which I’m abysmal). Routine always seems to involve making lists and meeting deadlines and working out…
I like spontaneity, but spontaneity is what got me into trouble in the first place. Let’s have a drink! Let’s build a bonfire – on the beach – next to the fireworks’ boxes! Let’s drive our car on the train tracks! Wanna’ go to Hogs and Heifers and take off our bras and dance on the bar?
The Hogs and Heifers trademark. I never danced on the bar or took off my bra, but I did do a Jitterbug aerial with a young GI…
Routine is highly recommended for the recovering alcoholic. I have begun to structure my day. It helps me to say it aloud to someone. “Today I’m going to finish the blog, work out, get at least 20 pages done on the book, get my oil changed, etc.” It is against my grain, but it stops the voices in my head telling me about the other choices (so many choices) and directing me to the next worthless, shiny object…
Routine helps ease anxiety; promotes stability, self-confidence and self-esteem; and can be relied upon in times of crisis.
If you run every morning, you can’t drink in the morning. N’est-ce pas?
