By virtue of my personality, I'm not big on routine. I find it stifling, most times. But you're right — life is full of routine, of the grind — and that's something I had to come to terms with when I entered the workforce. It was a hard transition for me, but what you talk about here is exactly right. It reminds me of the G.K. Chesterton quote:
"But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, 'Do it again' to the sun; and every evening, 'Do it again' to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them."
When I finally came to realize that it truly is the journey — the play — that matters, things changed for me. I did begin to delight in the little things (cooking definitely being one of them!). Even chores, I realized, could be done this way. They didn't have to be drudgery. I sit at a computer all day for my work; folding laundry, cooking, picking things up around house...at least I get to use my body! My hands. And things around me get better. What's not delightful about that?
Your point about making it into a skill via play -- very useful. As we get better at things, we tend to enjoy them more, I think. And learning is the great intrinsic motivator.
Hey Ren! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and sharing that Chesterton quote - it's beautiful.
Routine has always bugged me too. I constantly feel the need to break free from structures I impose on myself, but I also want to stay consistent in the habits I'm forming. I think keeping sane with a routine is a mix of, developing an endurance for making daisies every day, finding little ways to make making daisies fun, and including little opportunities for rebelling against your own routine without feeling guilty about it. All these things make routine a little more bearable and sometimes fun.
Anyway, thanks again! I look forward to reading more of your posts as well :D
Yes, I'm historically terrible at building habits! (But my husband is a pro, haha! I've learned a lot from him). But there is freedom in habit, too, once you learn to enjoy the process, as you say.
By virtue of my personality, I'm not big on routine. I find it stifling, most times. But you're right — life is full of routine, of the grind — and that's something I had to come to terms with when I entered the workforce. It was a hard transition for me, but what you talk about here is exactly right. It reminds me of the G.K. Chesterton quote:
"But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, 'Do it again' to the sun; and every evening, 'Do it again' to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them."
When I finally came to realize that it truly is the journey — the play — that matters, things changed for me. I did begin to delight in the little things (cooking definitely being one of them!). Even chores, I realized, could be done this way. They didn't have to be drudgery. I sit at a computer all day for my work; folding laundry, cooking, picking things up around house...at least I get to use my body! My hands. And things around me get better. What's not delightful about that?
Your point about making it into a skill via play -- very useful. As we get better at things, we tend to enjoy them more, I think. And learning is the great intrinsic motivator.
Great post!
Hey Ren! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and sharing that Chesterton quote - it's beautiful.
Routine has always bugged me too. I constantly feel the need to break free from structures I impose on myself, but I also want to stay consistent in the habits I'm forming. I think keeping sane with a routine is a mix of, developing an endurance for making daisies every day, finding little ways to make making daisies fun, and including little opportunities for rebelling against your own routine without feeling guilty about it. All these things make routine a little more bearable and sometimes fun.
Anyway, thanks again! I look forward to reading more of your posts as well :D
Yes, I'm historically terrible at building habits! (But my husband is a pro, haha! I've learned a lot from him). But there is freedom in habit, too, once you learn to enjoy the process, as you say.
Looking forward to more!