Reaching Routine

"Would you like an adventure now, or shall we have our tea first?" Peter Pan

Is routine something you struggle with? Are you trying to find a balance between having a schedule and doing spontaneous things? There's a fine line between keeping everything in line and drawing outside the lines. It's a constant challenge and probably something everyone finds difficult at different times of their lives. I don't think there's a secret for success in routine, but just putting in the daily effort to be both productive and spur-of-the-moment with our time.

Routine literally means "a sequence of actions regularly followed." The word "regularly" suggests "for the most part" or "usually." It doesn't say "always," leaving room for the unexpected. Having a routine simply means trying to organize the day. There might be a different way to organize it each day or each week, but it helps to have structure, something that is actually quite challenging to me working from home.

Yet anyone who knows me knows that I'm a list person. I make lists for the month, the week, the day, even the morning and afternoon, for to-dos, for groceries, for trips, for gatherings....and yet I still have trouble with routine. I bought a whiteboard, calendars, planners, and nice felt pens to write the routines on, and I still have trouble. I set small goals, large goals, and try to accomplish something by a certain time and I still have trouble. 

It made me realize that in trying to establish a routine, I was trying to predict/plan for how the day was going to go. We can't always do that. Something inevitably always comes up that is unexpected. There are longer lines in the grocery store. You forget to get gas and that's now on the list. A family member asks for help. A friend calls. Work deadlines creep up on you. You get sick. Etc, etc, etc. But it is in these unexpected moments that we find God and we find joy because we received opportunities to be patient, to be kind, to be helpful, to be responsible, to be the best version of ourselves in the moment.

For in those moments that didn't go according to your plan we discover God's will. There's a comfort in knowing that God knows how the day will be, and He will give you the graces to meet each challenge as it comes. Routine is good, even excellent for trying to make the most of time, but our time is in God's hands and having a break in schedule leaves room for Him to step in.