Beating Routine: A Guide to Reclaiming Your Time

A Modern Hippie's approach

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

Wake up, meditate, brush teeth, down coffee, scroll social media, work, exercise, eat, sleep.

This monotonous routine has been the cadence of my life for the last few months. The pattern is predictable and my brain and body have comfortably settled into its rhythm, appreciating the absence of uncertainty about my daily itinerary.

In following this regimen, I have been able to track the gradual improvements in my habits. Be it exercise or writing, my day-to-day routine offers a structure, a framework that keeps the gears of progress in motion, and frees my mind from the necessity of constant planning.

Routine is the enemy of time

However, there is an apparent paradox in the routine I have slowly formed. As much as it helps maintain stability and progress, it often fails to generate unique, long-lasting memories. Research by Neuroscientists suggests that novel experiences are more likely to be stored in long-term memory due to the role of dopamine in memory and learning. That's perhaps why when I reflect on the canvas of my life, the most vivid and colourful memories originate from the moments I ventured off the beaten path.

Travelling is an easy way to experience novelty. In the video below, a man named Jedidiah Jenkins quit his job and went on an adventure spanning 1000 miles spanning the entire continent of South America.

I've also had the opportunity to explore parts of the world, soaking in many novel environments with wide-eyed curiosity. A specific memory of mine that comes to mind was my motorbike tour across Vietnam. Each day brought a new town or village to explore, and I could even remember the taste of the coffee I drank, the colour of the paint on the walls of the houses I walked into and the smiles on people’s faces. The novelty of such experiences occupies a considerable portion of my mind, and I can vividly remember these moments as markers in the growth and direction of my life.

Jedidiah said something I’ve heard many times before worded in different ways:

“I wanna make it to 85 and be exhausted ‘cause I was alive every single day.”

This idea, I believe, resonates with all of us. After all, who doesn't aspire to maximize the limited time we have on Earth?

However, I often find myself questioning: Am I a prisoner to my routine? The monotony of routine has resulted in fewer stories and fewer memorable photos, and it seems to have accelerated the passage of time.

As always, Balance is everything

Therein lies a tension between novel experiences and routines. How do I strike the right balance between enriching my memory bank with new experiences, and maintaining a structure that fosters the development of habits crucial for my personal growth?

A life devoid of routine, one lived in the perpetual pursuit of novelty, could lead to chaos and a lack of direction. Yet, like Jedidiah, I fear getting lost in a routine, only to blink and find that an entire decade has evaporated.

Consider a proposed solution that likens your life to a garden. A well-kept garden requires a routine: watering the plants, weeding, and pruning. These regular activities provide the foundation for the garden's growth and health, akin to your daily routines. When the garden flourishes, you save time in the long run, mitigating the worry of overgrowth and ultimately reducing your workload. The same holds true for achieving your life goals and visions.

After a while, however, observing the same flowers repetitively may become monotonous. You decide to introduce some French Marigolds to your flower collection. This new species brings a new colour to your garden, infusing excitement and a refreshing break from routine. You'll remember the day you planted these new flowers, marking a memorable milestone in the life of your garden.

French Marigolds

Similarly, introducing new elements into your life every now and then can provide us with a much-needed break from routine while still allowing us to grow and thrive in our daily habits.

Going within

Yet, finding balance doesn't stop at external experiences. Delving deeper into our consciousness through mindfulness can help us experience even the simplest, most routine moments in a more intense, novel way. Meditation and creative mindfulness practices, although routine in nature, can heighten our awareness of ordinarily overlooked moments—like starting your car or opening the door to your house. Tuning into these moments helps slow down time, inviting us to live more consciously.

Life is an intricate dance between routine and novelty. Establishing a routine provides structure and fosters growth while stepping out of it allows for new experiences and memories. Mindfulness helps to savour even the most ordinary moments, letting us find novelty in the mundane. As we navigate the complexities of life, remember to approach each day playfully and mindfully. For in the intertwining of routine and novelty, we may find the secret to truly cherishing our time.