Routines

One of the most impactful things I have done in my life has been something quite simple and that’s following a routine.

Routines allow you to be consistently good rather than occasionally great. You don’t have to be heroic every day. You just have to keep showing up.

A good routine takes the guesswork out of your day. It reduces friction, lowers decision fatigue, and frees up so much space in your brain. Instead of burning energy trying to figure out what to do next, you can use that brainpower to solve meaningful problems, reflect, or create.

But I’ve noticed something personal: whenever I go through a big life change—like moving, starting a new job, or even just having my schedule disrupted—my mood dips. I feel scattered, reactive, and drained. It’s not always the change itself that gets me, but rather the break in rhythm.

That said, I don’t believe in routines keeping us from new things to explore. We need freedom, variety, and curiosity. That’s why I’ve started thinking about building "curiosity periods" into my schedule—small, intentional blocks of time carved out to try new things, explore unfamiliar ideas, or just do something different. This way, novelty becomes a feature of the routine, not a threat to it.

I am a firm believer that routine helps you be more creative. When your day has built-in structure, your mind has room to wander. You stop worrying about the basics and start thinking more expansively.

There’s also something deeper going on: routines help shape your identity. Every time you follow through on a habit, you cast a vote for the kind of person you’re becoming. Morning workout? That’s a vote for health. Journaling each night? A vote for self-awareness. Small actions, repeated daily, shape who you are in the long run.

People often chase freedom from structure, but the paradox is that real freedom often comes through structure. When your fundamentals are taken care of—meals, movement, rest, work—you create margin. And that margin is where freedom lives.

So yes, routines make you better. But more than that, they make you stable—mentally, emotionally, and creatively. And when you’re stable, you can take bold risks, try new things, and stretch yourself without breaking.