Routine

Well I've got a nice little routine going for my mornings now. The rest of the day generally goes straight to hell, but at least my morning is organized. I do the dishes at my house in the morning. Then, when I get to work (before everyone else, mind you) I wash everyone's dishes and make coffee. Why do I wash everyone's dishes, you ask? Because evidently they are incapable of washing them themselves. I also check the kitchen a couple of times throughout the day. There is usually bits of food in the sink, dirty dishes in or around the sink, and invariably something has exploded all over the inside of the microwave. Ugh. How do these people live in their houses? (I make the coffee because it smells good. I rarely drink it, but it smells divine.)

But I digress. I do a few work items, run a couple of reports, then check my e-mail, read the blogs I read, and go on with my day. What is a routine, after all? Dictionary.com says that it is, "a customary or regular course of procedure." I'm okay with that definition. But then it also says, "dull or uninteresting; commonplace." This I am not okay with.

So, the question is, how to have a customary procedure without being dull and uninteresting? I think it's about how you do what you do. Some things will always be routine. But if you view it as boring, then it's boring. If you view it as a good routine that's relaxing and gets you into the swing of things, then it's a good thing. I like my routines. I find the structure and organization of it quite relaxing and reassuring.