Here I sit in my favorite coffee shop on a rainy day. It’s coming down in buckets, which is why I am not where I want to be. I want to be at Wonderland riding the Behemoth, one of the most awesome things in existence. But, it’s raining. A little bit of rain would have been okay. I would have toughed that out. But, there’s just no way. Not today.
My friends and I have been planning this trip for weeks. I did not schedule any appointments or meetings today. I also structured my week to ensure that I could get done what I needed to get done in the other four days.
What to do? What to do?
There is something that you need to know about me. I thrive on structure. I plan my work days very carefully, often far in advance. I have a to do list that I follow religiously. I find that this practice usually helps me when the unexpected occurs. If I know what my plan is, I can easily alter it to accommodate a new development. I have a bit more trouble, though, when a WHOLE DAY opens up for me. It’s simultaneously wonderful and scary. When the day started, part of me was like a kid on Christmas morning. But, instead of not knowing what present to open first, I didn’t know what to do first. A bit anxiety provoking.
But, now, as the day moves along, I am calming down and I feel in the groove. Why? Because I followed my routine. I fell back on my habits. I went to the gym, did my bit of the morning housework, started my crossword, got to my coffee shop, and began to write. That description is a good description of most of my work days.
Some of you are probably thinking, “Well, how boring is he? A whole free day and he goes to work and does the same old, same old.” That’s a fair point. I could have done something else. I could have driven to a museum or holed myself up somewhere with a good piece of fiction for the day. Heck, I could have gotten real crazy and gone to a different coffee shop.
Sure, I could have. And maybe I will next time. In fact, I will next time, just so that I can contrast that day with this day (and blog about it).
But, on a rainy day (and I mean it’s really pouring right now), where the huge gap of time caught me unawares, it sure was nice to have my routine, my good ole habits, there for me.
So, habits are both wonderful and boring. In fact, they’re wonderful because they’re just so darn boring most of the time. They keep us on track when we’re feeling lost. And that’s a good thing.
5 comments:
Ian,
A big fan of your blog, I often post along the same lines (here, for example), and am also a big proponent of trading in bad habits for good.
One thing I noted to myself while reflecting the other day was that I typically _HATE_ boredom, and have always had trouble in the past going away on vacation and finding myself with nothing to do.
However, it dawned on me that there is value in developing the ability to escape or retreat purposefully. By this I mean removing myself from my normal environment, establishing a set of objectives (reflect, meditate, read some books on my list, re-evaluate my current projects, etc.), and letting my mind wander.
Since coming to this realization, I have not yet had a chance to put it into action, but I am excited to give it a try.
I think this kind of ties in to the post that you've made. Boredom is probably one of the worst ways to spend your time, but purposeful calm and contemplation are valuable.
Anyhow, great blog - keep on posting!
Thanks for the comment. Much food for thought there. If I was on vacation with nothing to do, I don't think I'd be bored. I'd be a deer-in-the-headlights trying to figure out what to do!
As a bit of a segue to what you've said, I've discovered that those "boring" habits have been especially valuable during times of anxiety. They are anchors.
I totally agree with Lux Lea.
As an analogy, when I'm playing squash, I notice that it's very helpful to have a basic mantra and foundation to return to after an especially heated and physically exhausting rally. No matter how much energy I expended during the rally, it helps mentally and physically ground myself to be able to repeat my mantra (in the case of squash, it's "Play safely") and focus on the foundation.
The more I think about it, the more I think that what we're talking about here is setting up habits that act as our foundation. Innovation is good (and indeed, essential), but innovation needs a foundation upon which it can elaborate.
Good dialog here!
thanks a lot for the info :D
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