Routine:
- Habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure.
- A prescribed, detailed course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure.
- A set of customary and often mechanically performed procedures or activities.
- A usual or regular method of procedure, esp one that is unvarying.
I have a love/hate relationship with the routine of my comfort zone.
I like to know what to expect every day and I like to know what I am doing next. After a while, however, I get bored with my strict schedule that allows little room for adventure. I’m sure many of you feel the same way I do about routine.
But is it our fault that we are stuck in a cycle of predictability? We are raised to adhere to a routine, sometimes created by us and sometimes forced upon us by institutions. From the time we are 5 to 22, (most of) our lives are dictated by class times and slots outside of school to do homework. From then on, we are given a work schedule that we form our lives around. There isn’t much freedom when it comes to determining how you will take advantage of your day (or for all of you Oregon Duck fans, “win the day”).
This may seem ironic, but to take a break from routine, we must plan time for adventure.
Back when Paul started his Last Great Road Trip that we like to call his mid-life crisis, he worked hard to get out of the rut. A lot of planning went into his trip to the Arctic Circle adventure but the experiences they had on that off-road adventure were far from predicable.
I have determined that it is nearly impossible to maintain a life without having some sort of daily schedule but it is also impossible to be happy, find love, experience real friendship and joy without going outside of your comfort zone. But escaping the safety of a routine is not without peril… you must face real danger and over come fear in order to attain a true adventure in life.
So the next time you are feeling trapped in the never ending cycle of routine, when you struggle to find motivation, when the fun is long gone, and the only reason to continue is because bills need paying… set aside time to explore, get lost and escape the confines of your comfort zone.
Get in your car, play some music loud, and just drive. Or go on a long road trip, write about it, and have everyone follow your crazy adventure… sound like anybody you know… haha.