Moving On to Routine

So... I have to admit that since my last post On Discipline, embracing discipline hasn't been going so well. In fact, I think that right after I made the resolution to face discipline head-on, I got a little sidetracked.

I got sidetracked on a brief journey of the self, trying to ascertain once and for all what my personality type is. I got some answers but for now its all still tentative. Perhaps in a future post, I will come back to this topic. Today, however, what I want to talk about is routine.

Routine: performed as part of a regular procedure rather than for a special reason.

While I was sidetracked, I was also in my own way, trying to pursue discipline. In particular, I was trying to establish some regular morning habits that would help me start my day on the right foot. But, as fate would have it, I was failing woefully.

That is, until, I changed my approach. I realized that while I was failing at my morning routine, I was doing pretty well with my nighttime routine. So I decided to switch things up and focus on developing my nighttime routine. I've started praying at night, exercising at night, and even writing at night. So far so good.

Thus today, I want to put forth, that perhaps the key to self-discipline, is in fact routine. Because by establishing a routine (or even multiple routines), you can set yourself up for doing things just because its time to do them and not necessarily because you're motivated to or otherwise willing to.

I can definitely say that before my nighttime exercise routine, exercise was a chore that I never got around to doing, but now it's almost on autopilot! Of course, these are still early days, and it's left to be seen if I can maintain this habit. But right now, I am optimistic!

Perhaps the silver bullet to self-discipline is in fact routine!