19

May 2017

The Routine


I’m a creature of habit. From the time I wake up until I go to bed, I usually have a good idea of how my day is going to go. I rely on my daily routines. Some might call that boring. I say it’s efficient. But the problem with routines, I will admit, is that they are comfortable. They are safe. Routines don’t challenge us.

We know that in order to grow, professionally or personally, we have to step outside of our comfort zone. Take on a project that is outside our typical scope of responsibilities, give a presentation or make a cold call. Maybe we need to be challenged personally by going to the gym, taking a class or adopting a new hobby.

Doing something different is uncomfortable. And change is incredibly hard. As the famous Tony Robbins quote goes, “Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change.” And that is certainly true. But what if staying the same isn’t particularly painful? It’s just average. Maybe staying the same is allowing you to get by day-to-day pretty happy, healthy and content. It’s when we are comfortable that forcing change into your routine is the most difficult. That’s when you have to really dig deep and decide that settling for a life, career or business that is “pretty good” just might not be “good enough” for you.

What I know is that what I’ve done, and the routines I’ve created, will only get me as far as I am today. There is a time to grind, but there is also a time to grow. So in the midst of the routine, the day-to-day work that needs done, I challenge you, and myself, to find time to do something different. Out of the routine. Something uncomfortable. Maybe even if it’s just one time on the rock climbing wall or one client presentation. New experiences breathe new energy into our lives. Let something new inspire you.