As I pound away on my keyboard, my thoughts ablaze and my ambitions clear, I think to myself: Am I just going through the motions? Am I just taking life’s next logical step? Why am I doing ANY of this?
You’ve had the same thoughts before, I’m sure. Driving to work, from there and back; no variation in routine, no change in style. Doing the same thing everyday makes no difference in some people’s lives. They’re simply just going through the motions. It is a thought process I simply cannot understand.
Don’t get me wrong; routines rule
We cultivate habits and get into routines for a reason: because they help us to remain stable and live our lives for as long as we can. Our bodies are naturally accustomed to “growing into” routines. That way, we’re not under the constant stress of an unpredictable lifestyle.
That being said, some routines are definitely better than others. Habits that pave the way for a very ideal life ahead exist within all of our grasps. We just have to have the capability and awareness to choose which routines we should cultivate and which ones we shouldn’t, in order to get the outcomes we desire.
Let’s give it a try, shall we?
Ready to stop going through the motions and start making some changes? If so, you’ve just taken the first step towards living the life you want. Check out the top tips on breaking free from your current routine:
1. Find out what isn’t working
To change the routines you’ve already set up for yourself, you’re going to have to first find out what isn’t working before you can trade up for the things that do. Maybe reading for two hours everyday isn’t exactly a bad thing. Or maybe watching Seinfeld for an hour religiously is just something you enjoy doing (one of my guilty pleasures actually). Deciding whether a routine is giving you the most overall satisfaction is more important than simply “doing something different”. The best way to gauge the significance of an activity in your life is to…
1b. Ask yourself the three -INGs
What am I doING? – Sometimes actually addressing what you’re doing can force yourself to acknowledge how much of an investment or a waste of time your activity is.
What am I learnING? – What are you learning from what you do? Are you acquiring a new skill or have you been in the same routine for so long that everything you do has become second nature?
What am I gainING? – If your routine is in fact teaching you some new tricks, will these actually be useful in the long run? Could your time be better spend elsewhere?
2. Get rid of the ‘idiot box’
Some people (like me) can manage their TV time. When I get home from college, I tend to only watch an hour of Seinfeld a day, since television these days is hardly worth stomaching. But for people on the other side of the spectrum (you know, the guys that can devour hours of TV everyday) I suggest going cold turkey on the boob tube. The main reason for this is, you’re not really being productive. Unless you’re watching a bunch of documentaries that genuinely interest you or is relevant to a skill you wish to attain (see 1b.), TV is a HUGE time suck. Drop the routine now. You’ll thank me later.
3. Be smart with email
If you’re like how I used to be, email would be checked anywhere from ten to twenty times a day. Honestly, a couple clicks to check email doesn’t take a lot out of your time, but it does break your concentration. And it’s a just plain boring thing to do.
Solution? Check it only a few times a day: once in the morning, afternoon, and night. When the weekend hits, set aside an hour of your time to just deleting, replying to, and composing messages. Of course, this won’t work for everyone, but try to keep a cap on how often you manage email.
4. Do something completely out of the ordinary
If you know exactly how your day is going to play out and you’re not exactly enthusiastic about it, that’s a sign that it’s time for a change. Do you have something in mind that you’ve always wanted to try? Go for it! You don’t have to simply go through the motions anymore; you define your own motions.
Routine, shmoutine; take command of your life
Always have reasons why you do what you do. Just because you’ve been in a routine so long, doesn’t mean you don’t have the power to change it. Take a chance. Try something new. Be explosive when you’re supposed to be calm. To live everyday anew and to “unexpect the expected”: this is what it means to live life.
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photo credit: TheeErin
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16 comments to “Are You Just Going Through the Motions?”
I did something completely out of the ordinary yesterday. It was about the time that I usually go to bed. But I decided that I would take a swim first. So at 11 at night I jumped in my pool, swam 10 laps, and jumped out. It was kind of invigorating. There was nobody else there, and I was doing it purely for myself. I really enjoyed it.
Ibrahim | TwentiesLife.com´s last blog ..The Best Fashion Tip You’ve Never Heard
Congrats, man! Just doing one thing out of the ordinary is more than enough to re-invigorate a tired routine.
10 laps? Somebody’s been working out
Love this post, especially the part about asking the 3 “INGs” — that’s great stuff. I will definitely be asking myself those!
Positively Present´s last blog ..5 benefits of awesome things (& an awesome giveaway!)
So happy you could benefit from this advice, Dani. Just asking myself those three questions has upped my productivity dramatically – no joke
John,
It was routine that nearly ruined my marriage. We both just felt like we were going through the motions… it became uninspired and boring. Thanks for the wonderful tips…
Regards,
Darren
Darren Sproat´s last blog ..Is Social Media a Distraction from the Rest of Your Life?
Darren, I’m glad all of that has changed for the better. May your future days together now be passionate and more exciting than the ones that came before them.
Anytime, my friend.
Helen Keller said:” Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing.”
Routines are good to rest and re-gather our energy, but they can make us feel safe when the opposite is the case.
Very interesting – Thank you
Sanford´s last blog ..Sanford49: Seth’s Blog: The Levy flight http://goo.gl/mvvl Hmm – Interesting
Hey Sanford, welcome to the blog.
In the immortal words of Seth Godin, “Safe is risky”. This is a really great message to share.
You’re welcome for the post.
Just going through the motions?
Gosh I hope not! [grin]
I really like that quote “safe is risky”
Life is risky whether you decide to “live it” or not.
Either way none of us is getting out alive… so we
may as well give it all we’ve got.
Just me. I guess.
Good topic John
Jean Burman´s last blog ..Sing Like No-One is Listening!
You have Seth Godin to thank for that quote. He’s inspiring so much change, it’s incredible.
Actually, your words are pretty epic. I’m tweeting them as we speak:
“Either way, none of us is getting out alive, so we may as well give it all we’ve got.”
Very nice. Thanks, Jean!
Inspiring, helpful article, John.
You nailed it with this one:
Habits that pave the way for a very ideal life ahead exist within all of our grasps. We just have to have the capability and awareness to choose which routines we should cultivate and which ones we shouldn’t, in order to get the outcomes we desire.
Bravo.
Bamboo Forest – PunIntended´s last blog ..7 Ways to Guarantee an Oscar
Ha ha, anytime Bamboo. The goal for every article is to help people: if you’ve been helped, I’ve done my job.
Routines are awesome as long as you consciously chose them on your own. I have consciously chosen a Raw Vegan diet, started blogging, got up at 5am, exercised daily this year and they are different to things like eating junk food because its what everyone else does even if your intuition is screaming out against it.
Richard | RichardShelmerdine.com´s last blog ..Tabata Intervals : Day 30 (Post Mortem)