Routine as a Way to Get out of Your Comfort Zone

Summary

The article reframes the concept of routine, suggesting it as a beneficial tool for personal growth and comfort zone expansion.

Abstract

The article challenges the negative perception of routine by presenting it as a foundational structure that supports the incorporation of new experiences into daily life. It argues that routine provides a sense of security and comfort, similar to wearing familiar clothes, which allows individuals to explore new activities or habits without feeling overwhelmed. The author likens a well-balanced routine to a house with three solid walls representing consistent habits and one interchangeable wall for experimentation, emphasizing that this balance helps in self-discovery and progress towards goals.

Opinions

Routine is often misunderstood as monotonous and unappealing, leading to a negative connotation.
Many people mistakenly view routines, including fitness and dietary habits, as something negative because they are sometimes adopted without enthusiasm or personal choice.
The author initially tried to avoid routine but came to realize its potential as a powerful tool for growth.
Routine is likened to wearing favorite clothes that make one feel comfortable and confident, suggesting that familiarity breeds comfort.
Introducing new elements into a routine, like wearing a new piece of clothing mixed with old favorites, can be comfortably managed against the backdrop of familiar habits.
A routine acts as a solid foundation, a "little house," that provides the stability needed to venture into new experiences without feeling lost.
The author believes that having a routine is crucial for personal development as it allows space to try different things while ensuring a safety net to return to.

Let’s stop demonizing routine

There is a common idea running, which says that routine is something wrong. When you say the word “routine” to someone, they probably instantly think about things like “boring”, “lazy” and “same old thing, over and over again”. Even in our romantic relationships, routine seems to be something that people try by all means to avoid.

Why? Maybe because routine is misunderstood. It’s the word used to describe the fact of putting one’s life on repeat mode, without questioning anything. Waking up every day at the same hour, getting ready, going to work, doing the same thing all day long, eating with the same old colleagues, going back home, having dinner, watching Netflix and going to sleep. And because this kind of routine is everything but appealing, the word itself resonates in a bad way.

Same thing for fitness routines, or healthy eating routines. The fact is that many people forces themselves into these things — not everyone, don’t get me wrong — so the whole thing and the word put on it both become negative.

I, too, tried my best to avoid routine. Until I realized that routine can be a powerful tool for getting out of your comfort zone and closer to your goals.

Why routine is positive

Maybe this example is going to be very weird. But I can’t find something that fits the situation as well.

You’ve got your favorite clothes, don’t you? The kind that you almost wear a day out of two, and that you miss when they are to be washed. The kind in which you feel soooo great, comfortable and, above all, yourself.

However, sometimes, you buy some new clothes or find oldies at the back of the closet, and decide that today, you’re in the mood to wear them. As far as I’m concerned, when this happens, I’ve noticed that I’m way more comfortable wearing unusual pieces of clothes only when mixed with my favorite ones.

For instance, wearing a new tee-shirt but mixed with my favorite pair of jeans and my favorite jacket. If I only wear new clothes or ones that I’m not used to wearing, I don’t feel as great and comfortable, because I don’t have these small reference points.

If it’s just me, please forgive this dull example.

Well, having a routine is the same. It’s like building a solid little house, that you like, that is reassuring. But this house is special. Because out of four walls, one is interchangeable. And it’s in this interchangeable wall that you can bring novelty into your life, without feeling completely lost: the three other solids wall are here to support the roof and maintain the warmth.

In this way, a routine is a way to experiment with new things and focus on other ones, without having to make sure that everything is not falling apart. It gives you some space to get to know yourself, the things you like, and grow along your own path. It’s reassuring enough, so you have the freedom to try different things, with the feeling that you can get back in as soon as you want.

Routine as a Way to Get out of Your Comfort Zone

Let’s stop demonizing routine

Why routine is positive

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