CELEBRATION 5.28.18 | routines

I enjoy working in the kitchen. There is something soothing about the rhythm of a knife on a cutting board, chopping vegetables or fruits into neat slices or chunks. 

Chopping has become part of my regular routine. I used to shy away from anything that felt consistent enough to be called a routine. It seemed like such a dull way to live--a life filled with the repetition. 

However, I have grown to appreciate the way simple routines allow me to live a better life. By chopping veggies and fruits each weekend to prepare for the week ahead, my husband and I are set up to make healthy choices when we are on the go.

When I select and iron my clothes for the week over the weekend, my mornings are much less hectic. My closet floor stays much tidier.

When I stop to fill up my car with gas on a regular schedule, I avoid feeling stressed about a nearly empty tank on my way to an appointment. 

Repeating each of these acts with predictable regularity does not mean my life is thrown upside down when something interrupts my routine, but rather it means that when life is flowing as usual, I have more time and free attention to devote to things that matter most. I am able to be present with my husband, and I even pay greater attention to our dogs. I am less likely to feel stressed.

Routines work the same way in the classroom. When I have a system for taking care of the daily work, I am able to spend my time with individual students. I can provide guidance and feedback instead of worrying about the plan for the day or managing paperwork.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." I used to think of this quote when pushing back against routine. Today I celebrate that not all consistency is foolish. I believe Emerson would agree.