Routine
Routine is a repeatable system of actions that organizes behavior and reduces the decision-making costs of everyday life.
Definition
Routine can support sleep, work, health and regulation because part of the decision-making is transferred to a repeatable pattern. Not all routines are good: some perpetuate avoidance, overload, or automatic responses. The key question is whether routine serves values and real needs.
Key ideas
- Repeatability
- Lower decision cost
- Stabilization of behavior
Practice and life
Choose one morning or evening routine and limit it to three steps. Test for seven days without adding any additional items.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to create a routine so ambitious that it becomes another source of pressure. It is also a mistake to stick to a routine that no longer works.
> Routine can be a cage or a scaffold - it depends on whether it serves values.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What decision is the routine supposed to make easier for me?
- Does this routine give you energy or take it away?
- When is it worth updating?