February 12, 2008
Posted by Ryan Graves
Routine or bust?
Routine
a: a regular course of procedure
b: habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure <the routine of factory work>
I wonder, is having a routine really the way to be most productive…?
Over the last month I’ve been in a training program that allowed for very little routine. The norm was 12-14 hrs of work during the day interrupted only with meals. That was followed by 4-6 hrs of “social activity” during the evenings and nights. Although this was the norm there was very little opportunity to develop a routine as the schedule was always changing. This experience was jam packed with class, study, and course work, followed by plenty of going out. It was a very full experience in that I accomplished a ton and I would consider it an incredibly productive month. Now, if I was able to accomplish so much in such an environment why would I immediately return home and attempt to implement routine in my life? Maybe I would accomplish more if I were to never repeat, never act “habitually or mechanical” and never engage in a “regular course of procedure”.
Would the complete removal of routine from my life promote “outside of the box” thinking? Maybe I would find new ways to solve old problems. I might resolve everyday issues that have been plaguing me for ages.
My conclusion is that there is both good and bad routine.
Bad routine doesn’t allow you to think differently. I call this type of routine “Ground Hog’s day” routine. It locks down creativity and innovation. Ground Hog’s day routine in short, restricts “change”. Avoid this type of routine, otherwise you’ll wake up one day and be in the same spot as you were the day before and the day before that. Very bad!
Good routine facilitates creativity and change by putting you in the clearest of mindsets. It allows you to see life in new perspectives. This is the routine that promotes thought and productivity. This type of routine removes waste by allowing you to process improve each aspect of your life. I call this “Clarity routine” because it promotes optimal clarity and thought.
Find out how to embrace Clarity routine and eliminate Ground Hog’s day routine and you will be well on your way to much higher levels or productivity.
