Routine gets a bad rap. People label it boring, it gets summed up as a humdrum part of life. You even hear it used as a derogatory term or an insult sometimes. “What a dreadful routine!”

But what is routine if not a manifestation of habit? And habits, as we all know, can be either good or bad. If we are to affect positive change in our lives, we have to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone at first until we make a new pattern.

Of course, it’s no fun to be stuck in a rut. At the same time, life is good when it is ticking along like a clock. One might say that there’s a healthy balance to be had.

Routines and habits represent the cyclical quality of life. All things come around in circles, some daily, others, weekly, monthly, or annually. Some cycles are found within, not out there with the planets or the stars.

What sets a good routine apart from a bad habit is the intentionality behind it. Bad habits are something we fall into unconsciously, while a healthy routine can take practice, and a dedication to positive change.

Sometimes routines and habits are only noticed when they are broken. When we interrupt the pattern, it shifts our perspective so we can reevaluate. This can come as a humbling shock, or usher in a wave of appreciation for our progress.

It’s good practice to pay attention to your routines and notice your habits and ask yourself which ones are serving you and which are not. The good thing about these cycles that weave through your life is that you have the power to tinker with them at will.

Like the song says, “it ain’t nobody’s business but your own”. You have the power to fine-tune your life any way you want. You could look at it like a dance between the things that you want to make happen and the things that you let happen to you.

Make a habit out of observing your habits. With good intentions you can dial in your life with the help of your not-so-humdrum routines!

Much love till next week!

Much love!

M+

Mark Metz
Director of the Dance First Association
Publisher of Conscious Dancer Magazine