Claire Edwards

Transcript:

Structure and routines have been my saving grace and my worst form of self-sabotage. Structure and routines help us establish good habits and ensure we get to do the things we want to do. We have it in our morning routines, workouts, sleep schedules, and everything else to help us live the best life we can.

Sometimes though, we get so locked in structure and routines that we have tunnel vision. That structure or routine becomes the only way to do things and if it’s not that way, we consider it wrong. We keep going with that structure or routine because we know that that works for us and there is safety in that.

The thing is that we change and grow, and the world around us changes and grows. We get older, we get curious about new things, and our preferences change. We meet new people, get new opportunities, and the world changes a lot as we know. So, if we change and life changes, our structure and routine must change too. If we are insistent on keeping our structure and routines the same, we will miss out on so many opportunities to grow and change. There is just so much safety in our old ways, but we have to remove that fear of new ways of doing things so that we can grow.

We must remove this fear of changing our structure in routines in each season of life. We must get away from the phrase “well I’ve always done it that way.” Well we must think about is “that way” serving you anymore? Is that structure or routine the one that is serving you best right now in this season of life? Find the different routines that work for you in each season of life. Be willing to change your workout routine when you get curious about kickboxing. Be willing to change when you move in with someone (easier said than done). Be willing to change when there is an opportunity to do something new at work. Be willing to change when the world gets turned upside down, literally. What is serving you best in this season of life? 

Holding onto the safety of old routines is holding us back, or worse is making us miserable. Don’t let your routines that don’t serve you hold you back from doing something that would ultimately make you happier. Do the thing in that season of life that serves you best. 

What does this take? Moving from one routine we like to another routine we like takes the willingness to experiment. Be willing to experiment and find what serves you best now. Make small changes here and there to see if that change serves you better. Try doing it a different time, at a different place, with a different attitude, with a different person. It doesn’t have to be big changes. Little things can make all the difference. Little by little those changes that you’re making to your routines will help you create a life you’re proud of. It might not be easy, but remember we are all just trying to figure it out.