There is always a rhythm in life. I’ve noticed that even when my life or others’ lives seem chaotic or unplanned there is still a pattern. When I am managing my time poorly and not in a good routine of exercising after work, cooking a nice dinner, writing in the evening, and getting to bed early, there are still background habits that emerge as a routine.

These background habits may be: working until I can’t think straight, eating out or warming a frozen dinner, bingeing reddit and procrastinating going to bed. I find that whether I am in a good routine or a work-obsessed routine, I am taking the same amount of time away from my work. The difference is that one routine is intentional and far more rewarding.

There is a temptation, when trying to get a big project over the finish line to think that you will get back into a pattern after this milestone or after that event. However it is helpful to realize that you are already in a routine, it just may not feel like it, and it may not be serving you well.