Routines

Routines get a bad rap from people who have had to work lousy jobs which pay little for grueling repetition. This is understandable. However, routines are responsible for much of what is generally accepted as human progress. Routine hygienic practices, such as cleaning streets, sanitizing water systems, processing sewerage, have drastically extended the average human lifespan. The routines of factory floors have produced conveniences which have decreased the general labor of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The routines of science and engineering are the sources of human advancements for better quality of life. 

Abhorring routine is a common reaction among people who are liberated from routine jobs by retirement or wealth. These same people rapidly discover that life without any routines is unproductive and dissatisfying. Careful observation of a dog or cat will quickly inform the observer that other mammals rely on routines to maintain health and contentment. 

As conscious human beings, we are capable of choosing and altering our routines to good effect. However, it is much more effective to adjust basically healthy routines than it is to radically alter unhealthy routines. So, the establishment and maintenance of basic, health-promoting daily routines lays a solid foundation for all other routines in life. I know this from my own experience of many life-shaking situations which have torn apart many of the more pleasurable routines of my life. Having my foundation of healthy habits made rebuilding my changed life much easier. 

Winter is a time of year for resolutions and gearing up for more active seasons. It is a good time to tend to the foundation of a daily life. By consciously adopting basic daily routines for health and personal progress, all other changes will develop with less effort.