The thing about routines is that we don't always notice them -- or the importance they play in our lives -- until they are taken away. For example, there's something very powerful about the simple routine of waking up, eating breakfast, getting dressed, and driving to the office. It's so powerful, in fact, that most of the people I know who work from home still follow a similar routine - get up, eat, shower, dress, and then physically move from the bedroom or kitchen into their home office. They shut the door, fire up the laptop, and are at work. It's just not the same when you prop open a laptop on the coffee table in front of the television. It feels like cheating.
When you lose your job, you lose a big piece of your daily routine, and all of the small but important perks of daily life that come with it. You don't have co-workers to chat with over coffee in the morning. You don't have friends dropping by and asking if you have lunch plans. You don't sneak glances at your smart phone and feel devious when you check Facebook in the middle of the day. There's no monthly birthday cake, no emails about team outings, no company-wide meeting to break up the monotony of the day.
When you lose your job, you lose a lot.
So I force myself to have a daily routine, because otherwise my cat is going to get sick of me and I'll find myself memorizing the daily time schedule for Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, and The Doctors.
Tuesdays and Thursdays start early. I have to be at the gym at 6:00 in the morning, so my day starts several hours before the sun comes up. My routine is coffee and breakfast and a workout, then home to shower and dress before I pick up my laptop and walk out the front door.
I find that I work best when I get out of the house. So everyday, the laptop is packed up and I walk five minutes to the clubhouse of my condo. It's a great little place to work - free wifi, comfy couches, tables and chairs with outlets, even a kitchen if I get hungry. I sit down, I open my laptop, and I write. I'm currently switching back and forth between applying for jobs, and doing some freelance work where I write resumes and cover letters for clients. But I write. Every day.
I feel like I need more routine. Maybe not forever, but at least for the next few months. Job searching in the dead of winter in dreary Sacramento is not fun, and it takes a toll on the psyche. It's very easy to get down on yourself, and when you're down, it's even easier to fall out of good habits and say "fuck it all." I find that having routines makes a big difference in my life, so I might need more of them.
That might sound dull to some people. I don't mind. There's something calming, something soothing, about routine. I always know I'll have a good book to read in bed at night. I know I'll have a pot of coffee ready about ten minutes after I wake up. I know there will always be an episode of Jeopardy in my DVR queue. I know the same smiling faces will greet me at the gym every Tuesday and Thursday, and that Coach Nick will ask how I've been eating and what my potholes are.
What are your favorite routines?
I think my morning is my favorite routine: wake up, brew coffee, check email, quick gander at the blogs, and then reading an article or two before starting the day. It keeps me current in the field and is a nice way to ease into the rest of the day as whole.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post. I appreciate routine; it's comfortable. I find that I fall into a bit of a funk if someone at the office is gone for whatever reason, including, like, you know, a summer of adventure and freedom or something like that.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, my favorite routine is my coffee every morning :)