Routine: The Boring Way to Get Creative — Part 2

Were you able to look into the routines that you wanted to make work? What did you observe? Did anything stand out?

Last week, we spoke about two things that can make a routine easier to sustain, knowing why it matters and knowing how to make it workable.

“Priority” – But before we even think about building a routine, there is one question worth asking: how much does this actually matter to us? Think if it is a non-negotiable goal for you. If you want to decide if its Non – negotiable, then ask yourself what happens if you don’t achieve this goal Are you okay with not achieving it, or would you feel that something important was lost if you didn't? In short, if something truly matters, you make space for it.

“Clarity” – Coming from a software background, I have often come across the idea of making goals SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. But even outside work, I think the most useful part of this idea is simply clarity. For me, clarity means breaking a larger goal into smaller, achievable steps.

 When we break down a bigger task to many smaller tasks, it stops being overwhelming and gives us confidence that we can work on it and achieve it.

If the goal feels overwhelming, we can break it down until it becomes workable. Smaller, workable tasks are also easy to work on.  We will concentrate simply on doing the task in the best possible way every single day. When we try to bring measurements and perfection into the scene, we get overwhelmed and give up sooner than we think. Because our expectations can never be met and we get disheartened every time we fail to reach it. Progress over perfection.

Maybe take some time to think about your goals and break it down to smaller tasks that can be worked on without overwhelming your existing lifestyle. Start with one Goal. Break it into smaller tasks and give it a workable schedule. Something that doesn’t overload your everyday lifestyle. It is very possible to have a working routine.

Have you observed that the title says Creativity, and so far, I haven’t spoken about It?   

Routines are boring no doubt. You do the same thing every day at the same time. There is no excitement in doing the same thing. But hear me out, as we do the same things over and over again, the tasks stop being just another task and becomes a part of your habit.

Have you ever noticed how some of your best ideas come when you aren't actively trying to think of them? Perhaps while walking, driving, doing the dishes, or simply going about something you have done a hundred times before?

 When familiar tasks no longer demand all our attention, we can move through them with less effort. And sometimes, it is in those moments that the most unexpected ideas and solutions begin to appear. The mental energy we once spent navigating mundane tasks can now be available for thinking, imagining, solving problems, and creating.

Routine is not just great to get into the creative flow but also saves up time and frees up mental space to identify and work on things previously we were not able to even start with.

Perhaps routine isn't meant to make life predictable. Perhaps it is meant to create enough space for something else.