I am, without a doubt, someone who loves having a predictable routine. It makes me very comfortable to see familiar people, places and things.
My ideal week goes like this:
- I go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday.
- My daily routine rarely varies.
- My workouts are predefined and pleasantly exhausting.
- I read a little, write a little and relax a little.
- My meals are entirely predictable.
That might sound boring to you. To me it is absolutely perfect.
My wife used to tease me when I always ordered the same food at restaurants. She’d ask , “Don’t you want to try something different?”
My reply was, “Why would I get something different if I like what I order every time?”
The same logic applies to almost every aspect of my life. I’m not opposed to trying something new. But if something is working well, I need a compelling reason to change it.
When I am in a comfortable routine, I cannot imagine what it would be like to do anything else.
It feels like whatever I am doing is permanent, lifelong and unchangeable.
Intellectually, I know this isn’t true.
This was something I learned from Buddhism, which says all of man’s suffering is caused by trying to hang onto something and make it permanent. That something can be health, life, friendships, love, youth, possessions, etc.
Nothing is permanent.
Hanging on tighter doesn’t make something last longer, it just increases your suffering.
Lately, my routine has been pretty ideal. But big changes are coming.
My wife’s cancer surgery is next week. Our lives will be forever changed by this. We are hopeful for a positive outcome but no matter how good it goes, our lives will never be the same. I expect her recovery process will be long, painful and difficult, at best.
I may have to get a job. Last year I had enough consulting to pay the bills and complete a few home improvement projects. This year, business has dried up completely. If nothing changes by the end of the year, I’ll need to get a job or start a different business.
I’ve think I have plantar fasciitis. My attempts at DIY rehab have been unsuccessful. Lately the pain has been so bad that it makes me limp. As a result, I’ve had to eliminate walking, biking, sprinting, jumping and all barefoot activity from my workouts. It is frustrating to be physically unable to do activities I used to take for granted.
I’m not thrilled about any of these changes.
But I never look forward to disruptions in my routine. Even ones that turn out to be quite good in retrospect.
I’ve Had Many Changes That Turned Out Surprisingly Good
- Nearly every job change I’ve ever made has turned out to be an improvement- even when I was laid off or fired.
- Most of my relocations worked out well – even some I didn’t want to do.
- I would have never met my wife if my first two girlfriends hadn’t dumped me and broke my heart.
I could list more of these, but I think you get the idea.
More importantly, just writing this post has given me a more positive outlook concerning some of the big changes that are coming.
Who knows? Maybe something better than I could have imagined will result from all of them.
It has happened before for me and hopefully will happen for you too.