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Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday! And hello from Portugal!
tl;dr Routine helps us find the discipline to reach our goals. Non-routine (chaos) helps us find the creativity to inspire our goals.
About six months ago, Brian and I filled out a quiz about what we would do on an ideal vacation. Some things that were at the top of the list were warm weather, some adventure, delicious food, and a beach. Over the next few months, we received clues such as the temperate only ranges eight degrees during the year and the wine was used to christen a declaration of independence (spoiler alert: it was actually the US declaration!). If you were like us and completely unfamiliar with the clues and didn’t use Google, it was a mystery that had been begging to be solved for the last several months.
On Friday we made our way to the airport with a sealed, secret boarding pass in hand, and getting ready to take off to a surprise location. Well, here we are! 600 miles west off the coast of Portugal on an island called Madeira.
This trip coincidentally lined up with a podcast from one of my favorites, Mark Manson, which talked about the balance of routine and chaos.
He started discussing one thing he has appreciated through his 30s is the satisfaction of a good routine. There’s something about having a good week getting up at the same time, being productive at work, going to the gym, and heading to bed consistently that is, dare I say, exciting. And I’m sure that’s only a luxury people who have kids can dream of. But yikes, what a humbling realization that I can appreciate a consistent bedtime already.
There are some objective benefits to a good routine. Consistent sleep leads to better decisions during the day and feeling more refreshed. Getting to the gym routinely helps make regular progress. The ability to adhere to a routine despite everyday interruptions strengthens a muscle to say no to distractions. This skill is invaluable in all aspects of life.
However, a routine can also become monotonous and lead to complacency. Think about someone you know who does the same exact thing every day despite either not liking what they do or not liking the results of their actions. This could look like someone who is working at a job that is not enjoyable or a source of growth and who does nothing to change it. Or this is someone who is told by their doctor they are at risk for heart disease or diabetes but continue to eat out and not exercise. Routine can be a slippery slope.
This is where some chaos may be beneficial. Maybe some spontaneity leads to a health scare that’s significant enough to change bad habits. Or it could lead to a job opportunity that otherwise would not have been available. Non-routine can also look like ending up on an island you’ve never heard of sitting by the pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean writing your weekly newsletter.
There is opportunity in saying yes to things you wouldn’t normally say yes to. But there is also a benefit to sticking to a routine that you know gets you results. So where is the happy medium?
Mark Manson had a unique idea where he and his wife designated seasons to be spontaneous. He equated it to a Brazilian barbeque restaurant where a green card on the table indicates to the waiters to keep the all-you-can-eat meat coming and red signals to stop. He and his wife choose periods of time when they want to flip their card to the green side and say yes to events and opportunities they might usually say no to. Then when they decide they need a reprieve, they flip their card to red and can hunker down in their usual routines. This satisfies the comfort of wanting routine and provides the spontaneity that can elicit creativity and new opportunities.
Another way to go about this is by approaching routine and non-routine in a goal-oriented way. Maybe you know you have a big project coming up for work and during this time it would serve you to double down on your routine. You make sure you’re getting good sleep, good workouts, and quality work done. Then, after the project is done, you can switch gears into a season of spontaneity. Say yes to the outing you would normally opt out of, go out with a coworker you would normally avoid, eat something you haven’t tried, or go on a trip that’s out of your comfort zone.
No matter how you go about it, there is something to be said about utilizing both routine and spontaneity in life. This does require a routine that helps you get your goals done and not one where you expend all of your energy figuring out what to do with a day off and what to eat every day when you get home. Routine should require little decision-power and move you towards your goals. Spontaneity should also feel a little uncomfortable because the value lies in stretching us a little more than we would normally stretch ourselves.
If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
This week, my podcast recommendation is from Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck Podcast, “How to Get Out of a Rut, Pain, and Boredom, and Knowing When to Quit.”
With that, if anyone has any interest in trying out a mystery trip during a season of spontaneity, the company we booked with, Journee, has been nothing short of phenomenal thus far. Let me know if you have any questions!
Until next time,
Shannon
P.S.
- I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.
- I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape having ill health.
- I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.
- All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.
- My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.
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