Reader Poll: Are Routines Good or Bad?
Do you think routines are good or bad?
Routines are patterns of behavior that we repeat often. Most of us love our routines. After all, humans are creatures of habit.
We all have them, but should we? I see both sides and I’m interested in your opinion. What do you think? Are our routines good or bad? Do they help or hinder us from living life to the fullest?
The Case For Our Routines
Some of the pros for having routines are as follows:
- They are comforting.
- They create a lifestyle.
- They are efficient.
- They help us avoid errors.
- They are trainable.
- They increase accuracy.
- They reduce the effort required.
- They become good habits.
When I think about routines in a positive light, I think about things like brushing your teeth. It is a routine that I do every morning and evening. My wife and I even started early on training our kids to make brushing their teeth a routine. Hoping that it sticks for a lifetime.
The Case Against Our Routines
Some of the cons against having routines are as follows:
- They become ruts.
- They limit our creativity.
- They allow us to run on autopilot.
- They resist change even for the better.
- They lead us into a box.
- They keep us from seeing new opportunity.
- They become bad habits.
- They make life mundane.
When I think of routines in a negative light, I think of behaviors like going to the mall every weekend. This leads to impulse spending which leads to living beyond your means. I also think of staying at a job well past the point where you have reached a plateau in learning and advancement. These types of routines drain us and rob us of a good life.
Weighing the Good and Bad of Routines
There are some of my thoughts. What are your thoughts? You can vote below:
Loading ...Okay, now that you’ve voted. Please leave me a comment and let me know why you voted like you did. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of this poll and reading your comments. Thanks!
Photo by ianloic
Really interesting post and great idea to have a poll! I retweeted it so hopefully more people will participate.
Positively Present´s last blog ..when you want to cry, laugh instead
I believe routines are great. They can really help us be efficient (ex. morning shower/teeth brushing/makeup/dressing/breakfast). Without a routine, I would just wander aimlessly throughout my day! However, just like anything else, our routines must be re-evaluated from time to time to make sure they are still working for us and are producing the fruit we want them to.
Marci – It does seem that routines are great in some facets of life, but are they always good? Is it possible that we cling to poor routines for too long? If so, do these downfalls outweigh the positives?
Great poll, this is the question I’ve been thinking a lot lately myself and couldn’t find a definite answer.
Lana-DreamFollowers Blog´s last blog ..Life Purpose: Do you avoid challenges?
Lana – Where do you get hung up trying to decide about routines? I’m curious if we have the same questions.
Why do I roll my eyes at this one? Oh ya, cuz I hate routines! But, I do give my credit to them.
I detest routine. My husband lives by them. My children need them. And they have helped me to clean up my act in many ways.
So as much as I kick and scream about them, I have to go in favor of having routines.
Why do I throw a tantrum about them: yes, because they keep you from seeing new opportunities, they are repetative, they are ruts, mundane… oh ya.. you listed all that.
So, I try and shake up my routines at times. As for the kids… they can make that choice to follow them or not AFTER they move out of my house to live on their own.
Great post for thought!
Money Funk´s last blog ..How we are surviving the holidays without Credit Cards
Money Funk – We love them and hate them, don’t we? Routines can be a blessing and a curse. They bring stability and reliability into our lives, but at what cost?!?
I am a big advocate of routines. Each of the “negatives” listed above about routines can be easily turned into a positive.
* They become ruts -> but if it’s a rut that you are designing and creating to live the life you want to live, then it’s a great rut. Who would want to leave that eden?
* They limit our creativity -> but we can create our routines. And moreover, with our minds freed from having to worry about what-when-how, we actually have more mental space to create the things that really matter to us.
* They allow us to run on autopilot -> can be a good thing. Save brainpower for the big creative exploits in your life.
* They resist change even for the better -> this is where you have to be the inspired creator of your routines, not the slave to them.
* They lead us into a box -> of our own design. See the first bullet point.
* They keep us from seeing new opportunity -> again, by freeing our minds from many what/when/how, we actually can see things more clearly.
* They become bad habits -> see point about being the creator. You just need to be mindful if the habit is working for you, or not.
* They make life mundane -> see point about freeing you up to create more!
Dr. Samantha´s last blog ..
I think routines are good. They give us time to do important things…we have to decide what those important things are. As a parent I see the benefits of this with raising children. I like Dr. Sams comment about scheduling time to be creative…that can be done.
Ken´s last blog ..Recession Employment: Diversify Income Streams
Routines are good but just like all things, they have a shelf life. Routines are good until they get stale and need to be changed.
Hi, I’ve been reading your blog for a while, but not commented.
I would have put running on autopilot in the case for camp because I relate autopilot to forming and keeping good habits. When I set a goal (like exercise more:) ) I want it to become part of my routine, something that becomes automatic. Autopilot routines also means I can expend brain energy on higher order thinking, or at least that’s the aim. My fav book on this is way outdated but still relevant, William James’ book on habits.
Tough question… I voted bad, simply because routines tend to get a tad boring.
It kind of reminds me of the movie “Stranger than Fiction” with Will Ferrel playing Harold Crick. Predictably brushing his teeth every morning, then going to the IRS and twiddling his life away.
I think routines are a good base to develop successful habits starting out, but shouldn’t be a 7 day a week deal.
New experiences are what make people grow and routines often limit us from doing that. Unless your routine is consistently having new experiences!
Either way – not a fan of the lifestyle of Harold Crick which I think many people fall into.
Ryan´s last blog ..The Not so Simple IRA