Can you thrive on strict daily routines? Or no routines at all?
[INFP]
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I don't think I've any routines at all.
When I feel for eating, I eat.
When I feel for going jogging, I go.
When I feel for sleeping, I sleep.
When I feel for studying, I study. (though here I sometimes force myself).
But in general, I try to avoid any kind of schedules when I've to do stuff, as it just stresses me.
When I feel for eating, I eat.
When I feel for going jogging, I go.
When I feel for sleeping, I sleep.
When I feel for studying, I study. (though here I sometimes force myself).
But in general, I try to avoid any kind of schedules when I've to do stuff, as it just stresses me.
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Routines?
Ehmm. Nope not really. Perhaps my morning ritual is something of a routine. Eating first, bit of tea, and shower later. Not the other way around. Although I know for a certainty that if I could be bothered it would be no problem for me to change the routine.
Routines stiffle me actually. Especially when they are forced upon me. I can remember that one of my previous jobs the first few things that you HAD to do were always the same. And in a certain order. When you didn't get that right people would criticise you about that. It was nuts though. The order of things didn't matter at all...outcome would always have been the same in the end.
So. To actually answer your question xD I do plan things....a lot....way too much but that's because of mental health issues and I hate that my mind makes me do it. So. Recap. No routines. Does plan a lot. Would mean I am somewhere in between. But I wish I could embrace the choas more.
Ehmm. Nope not really. Perhaps my morning ritual is something of a routine. Eating first, bit of tea, and shower later. Not the other way around. Although I know for a certainty that if I could be bothered it would be no problem for me to change the routine.
Routines stiffle me actually. Especially when they are forced upon me. I can remember that one of my previous jobs the first few things that you HAD to do were always the same. And in a certain order. When you didn't get that right people would criticise you about that. It was nuts though. The order of things didn't matter at all...outcome would always have been the same in the end.
So. To actually answer your question xD I do plan things....a lot....way too much but that's because of mental health issues and I hate that my mind makes me do it. So. Recap. No routines. Does plan a lot. Would mean I am somewhere in between. But I wish I could embrace the choas more.
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I honestly can't stand routine, and I'm very sensitive to repetitiveness and feeling like things are the same every single day. In both jobs I've worked in the past year, I was very frustrated with just that. Having to go in at the same time everyday, do the same things, see the same people.. I managed, but what really helped was knowing this was temporary and wasn't going to last beyond this year.
Something in between would be ideal. Not too chaotic, but with also enough variation and change.
Something in between would be ideal. Not too chaotic, but with also enough variation and change.
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I only have a morning routine which consists of affirmations, working out and breakfast. Usually some reading while eating breakfast too. I eat the same breakfast every day; bacon, eggs and spinach. It varies sometimes as I might have different kinds of eggs, but that's pretty much the routine.
Aside from that, it varies from day to day, but I usually know what I need to do. I have it planned out, but I switch it up from day to day according to what needs to get done and how I feel.
Aside from that, it varies from day to day, but I usually know what I need to do. I have it planned out, but I switch it up from day to day according to what needs to get done and how I feel.
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I think routines and having habits are ideal and healthy, but I usually get bored. I get this Groundhog Day feeling and need to switch things up.
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The day happens. I flow with it. Discipline ain't my thing. Chaos surely isn't either. Things happen during the day, which I'm okay with. Like, I'll have the thought, I want to do this now and I'll do it. My life has been this illogical mixture of just letting life *happen* and not planning one thing or goal, BUT THEN being incredibly in charge of what happens. I have LOTS of inner rules and boundaries set up about what I will and won't allow in my life. I don't think I do A LOT of *fighting* with life, Life and I have a pretty good relationship with each other. Just a few times, have I needed to give it a bitch-slap. I gotta tell ya, I'm really pretty satisfied with the whole thing.
Usually I am very disorganized and an absolute scatterbrain but when I have a lot happening or I am very stressed I will try to write things down and make an attempt to organize my thoughts/what I have to do. I definitely do not like strict routine and structure but if I let myself fall into complete chaos I really would not get anything done.
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I'm somewhere in between.
I know that in the morning I'll be drinking a couple of cups of tea, having breakfast, and showering. Probably in that order, but I'm not above shaking things up if I need to be somewhere and it would be more efficient to, say, shower first while someone else is using the kitchen.
I like having a routine with my dance and/or pilates classes, especially if I've found a really good one. If I miss a class one week, especially when I'm not yet feeling comfortable there, it can be easier to just not bother again the next week if I'm not in the mood. Whereas if I get into the habit of going to the same class every week no matter what, I can allow myself the opportunity to become a regular part of the class and therefore feel more comfortable in it. And I feel like I get more out of it, rather than if I just dabble in different classes each week. I need the consecutive sessions for things to really sink into my brain (it's as much for my mental health as it is for fitness).
I like to have an idea of what I'll be doing over the next few days, especially when I'm living with other people. If they have some social event planned, I need to be able to mentally emotionally prepare myself for it. Or if I've been putting off some study for the past week and plan on doing it on Sunday, I don't want to wake up on Sunday morning and be told that we're going to be out for most of the day. But if I know that something's probably going to be happening on Sunday, I can better arrange my time on Friday night and Saturday.
Basically the idea is to plan just enough, that I can maximise the amount of time I can spend doing whatever I feel like.
I know that in the morning I'll be drinking a couple of cups of tea, having breakfast, and showering. Probably in that order, but I'm not above shaking things up if I need to be somewhere and it would be more efficient to, say, shower first while someone else is using the kitchen.
I like having a routine with my dance and/or pilates classes, especially if I've found a really good one. If I miss a class one week, especially when I'm not yet feeling comfortable there, it can be easier to just not bother again the next week if I'm not in the mood. Whereas if I get into the habit of going to the same class every week no matter what, I can allow myself the opportunity to become a regular part of the class and therefore feel more comfortable in it. And I feel like I get more out of it, rather than if I just dabble in different classes each week. I need the consecutive sessions for things to really sink into my brain (it's as much for my mental health as it is for fitness).
I like to have an idea of what I'll be doing over the next few days, especially when I'm living with other people. If they have some social event planned, I need to be able to mentally emotionally prepare myself for it. Or if I've been putting off some study for the past week and plan on doing it on Sunday, I don't want to wake up on Sunday morning and be told that we're going to be out for most of the day. But if I know that something's probably going to be happening on Sunday, I can better arrange my time on Friday night and Saturday.
Basically the idea is to plan just enough, that I can maximise the amount of time I can spend doing whatever I feel like.
The very existence of a routine is reason enough for me to not follow it. I really should have a time to go to sleep at and wake up at (and I 'rebelled' against daylight, haha!), but apart from that my only vague routines are getting coffee, and eating. And I've rebelled against eating as well recently. .___.'
It's like I'm allergic to anything or anyone who tries to impose some kind of order on my life. I like my chaos; it's comfortable. If I do things when I want to do them and/or feel like doing them, they will get done more efficiently that way. The chaos is a functioning system.
Otherwise, life is too short for me to turn things into chores by virtue of scheduling them because that's what the effect is. The idea of 'having' to do anything makes it unenjoyable to me.
Generally I will actually schedule things fairly rigidly (in my mind, it usually falls apart, but I do plan to the nearest five minutes sometimes chunks of the day if there is stuff going on), but I will do that on the day, right before. And they are still entirely flexible and subject to whatever I feel like; the only reason I do that, is so things that need to be done get done eventually. Like, I'll set times to skype, and then times to sort my appearance out and then go outside and then times to eat and stuff. But those are just reminders I need to do those things at some point, rather than anything that moves me to actually do them on a schedule.
The closest thing I have to a schedule, is a mental to-do list with a vague but no rigid order. It works for me.
It's like I'm allergic to anything or anyone who tries to impose some kind of order on my life. I like my chaos; it's comfortable. If I do things when I want to do them and/or feel like doing them, they will get done more efficiently that way. The chaos is a functioning system.
Otherwise, life is too short for me to turn things into chores by virtue of scheduling them because that's what the effect is. The idea of 'having' to do anything makes it unenjoyable to me.
Generally I will actually schedule things fairly rigidly (in my mind, it usually falls apart, but I do plan to the nearest five minutes sometimes chunks of the day if there is stuff going on), but I will do that on the day, right before. And they are still entirely flexible and subject to whatever I feel like; the only reason I do that, is so things that need to be done get done eventually. Like, I'll set times to skype, and then times to sort my appearance out and then go outside and then times to eat and stuff. But those are just reminders I need to do those things at some point, rather than anything that moves me to actually do them on a schedule.
The closest thing I have to a schedule, is a mental to-do list with a vague but no rigid order. It works for me.
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What is this thing you call "Routine"? If God descended down from the heavens and told me that I had to plan my day out or else I'd go to the hell then you might as well say i'm going to hell. The devil would have my spot hot n' ready for me.
I function best without routines, but I do like organization. Chaos in my understanding of the word is too stressful. I seem to be happier doing something when I want to do it, rather than it springing up unannounced. Something like a school schedule is a bit daunting, I find myself thibkibg about what's next consistently instead of focusing on what I'm doing.
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That's a good question, imo. I guess I'm not necessarily INCAPABLE of following a routine but, as it stands, I don't even know how to begin to do so. I'd probably go crazy and worry about not doing what actually comes to mind outside of that routine.
Personally I do not do well with strict routines. They grate on me and make me feel tired and contrary because I don't see the point or value in having to do things at specific times when the important thing is usually more just that it does happen not precisely when.
I dislike the feeling of obligation and need to conform or submit to an outside system which is created by making a schedule - even if it's a schedule I came up with myself. When things have to be done at a certain time I feel pressured and this feeling distracts me and detracts from my ability to actually do whatever it is. Feeling like I'm 'supposed' to do this right now vs. I 'want' to do this right now makes all the difference in the world, the first drains my energy and makes me irritated, the second boosts my energy and makes me feel like a living being, or a competent force to be reckoned with.
I also find that things tend to go much better for me if I do them when the proper mood or 'inspiration' hits, but since I can't dictate when that will happen, schedules don't usually coincide with it. I am much more productive/effective/accurate/faster etc. when I get hit with a 'cleaning mood' or a 'find out information mood' etc. By saying I need to be in the mood for something doesn't necessarily mean just things I LIKE doing, instead it means when I sense that I am in the correct mindset to do that specific thing to the best of my ability, and/or that I am currently experiencing stronger than normal internal motivation to accomplish whatever it is whether it's something that needs to be done or something I want to do. I'm not always in the mood to do things I generally 'want' to do, just as I'm not always not in the mood to do things I don't like doing. When I seize the moment of inspiration, insight, or motivation I both DO better at something and Feel better about myself for having used that inner spark. Thus I seem to be at my best when I have the freedom to do things at the right moment for myself, rather than trying to 'force it' at a specific time.
For example, I may plan to have dinner at 6, but what if I'm starving by 5:15? Wouldn't it be better to eat when I'm actually hungry than try to continue in my weakened or distracted or irritable state for the sake of preserving some schedule? What if I plan to work on some creative project after dinner but the inspiration just isn't there so I waste my time making stuff I'm just going to scrap later, when maybe I should have taken the hint and done some other thing during that time which didn't require creative inspiration and then when it does strike later on at midnight if I go ahead and sieze the moment I may create something really great, whereas if I ignore the inspiration because it doesn't fit with my pre-slotted time for it I'm going to miss out on the productivity it could have granted me.
Additionally I find that positive feelings are a source of energy and focus for me, so I need to cultivate them in order to do my best 'work'. Having a sense that I am personally directing my actions (rather than acting puppet-like under an external plan) cultivates feeling good about myself and having a sense of accomplishment, and this in turn generates more personal drive and focus to keep accomplishing things.
I think my issue with Schedules is that they often don't seem to recognize that specific situations call for adjustments. Such as, it may often be perfectly fine and doable to arrive somewhere at a certain time, but on specific occasions other factors come into play making it less than ideal to stick to arriving at that time and it would be better in the larger picture of things to change that time. Allowing for specific circumstances to be individual and different from eachother is to me very practical and realistic and I see strict schedules as a hindrance to practicality. When the schedule itself seems to be more important to someone that what is actually being done I feel like it's putting the cart before the horse as the saying goes. The things that need to get done don't exist for the sake of filling out your daily planner, your daily planner exists to help with getting things done but it's a hindrance if it prevents you from adapting to the needs of actual situations in real time. A schedule is like a theory or an ideal, essentially; expecting it to always play out perfectly is impractical, and making a fuss when things happen a few minutes off is, to me, rather ridiculous. 'whaa! my pretty schedule broke! how dare anything operate outside my will and control! whaa! the world isn't playing by my rules!' (I'm thinking this is a bit Te-ish criticism but towards a normally Te-ish thing, hehe)
Now, I will grant that I can benefit from working with minimal or flexible schedules, because I can easily loose track of time or become distracted despite my best intentions to take care of things. Often I can manage to not get around to certain things for a long time, even if I am accomplishing other things of importance, and thus a schedule can help remind me of things that I need or want to do. And schedules are helpful for coordinating with other people, since our personal 'moods' to do things probably aren't going to coincide naturally on their own. So there is Some value in schedules. I just prefer to know that when I need to adapt a plan, I can do so, rather than feeling locked into something that turns out not to be the best time for whatever it is.
I dislike the feeling of obligation and need to conform or submit to an outside system which is created by making a schedule - even if it's a schedule I came up with myself. When things have to be done at a certain time I feel pressured and this feeling distracts me and detracts from my ability to actually do whatever it is. Feeling like I'm 'supposed' to do this right now vs. I 'want' to do this right now makes all the difference in the world, the first drains my energy and makes me irritated, the second boosts my energy and makes me feel like a living being, or a competent force to be reckoned with.
I also find that things tend to go much better for me if I do them when the proper mood or 'inspiration' hits, but since I can't dictate when that will happen, schedules don't usually coincide with it. I am much more productive/effective/accurate/faster etc. when I get hit with a 'cleaning mood' or a 'find out information mood' etc. By saying I need to be in the mood for something doesn't necessarily mean just things I LIKE doing, instead it means when I sense that I am in the correct mindset to do that specific thing to the best of my ability, and/or that I am currently experiencing stronger than normal internal motivation to accomplish whatever it is whether it's something that needs to be done or something I want to do. I'm not always in the mood to do things I generally 'want' to do, just as I'm not always not in the mood to do things I don't like doing. When I seize the moment of inspiration, insight, or motivation I both DO better at something and Feel better about myself for having used that inner spark. Thus I seem to be at my best when I have the freedom to do things at the right moment for myself, rather than trying to 'force it' at a specific time.
For example, I may plan to have dinner at 6, but what if I'm starving by 5:15? Wouldn't it be better to eat when I'm actually hungry than try to continue in my weakened or distracted or irritable state for the sake of preserving some schedule? What if I plan to work on some creative project after dinner but the inspiration just isn't there so I waste my time making stuff I'm just going to scrap later, when maybe I should have taken the hint and done some other thing during that time which didn't require creative inspiration and then when it does strike later on at midnight if I go ahead and sieze the moment I may create something really great, whereas if I ignore the inspiration because it doesn't fit with my pre-slotted time for it I'm going to miss out on the productivity it could have granted me.
Additionally I find that positive feelings are a source of energy and focus for me, so I need to cultivate them in order to do my best 'work'. Having a sense that I am personally directing my actions (rather than acting puppet-like under an external plan) cultivates feeling good about myself and having a sense of accomplishment, and this in turn generates more personal drive and focus to keep accomplishing things.
I think my issue with Schedules is that they often don't seem to recognize that specific situations call for adjustments. Such as, it may often be perfectly fine and doable to arrive somewhere at a certain time, but on specific occasions other factors come into play making it less than ideal to stick to arriving at that time and it would be better in the larger picture of things to change that time. Allowing for specific circumstances to be individual and different from eachother is to me very practical and realistic and I see strict schedules as a hindrance to practicality. When the schedule itself seems to be more important to someone that what is actually being done I feel like it's putting the cart before the horse as the saying goes. The things that need to get done don't exist for the sake of filling out your daily planner, your daily planner exists to help with getting things done but it's a hindrance if it prevents you from adapting to the needs of actual situations in real time. A schedule is like a theory or an ideal, essentially; expecting it to always play out perfectly is impractical, and making a fuss when things happen a few minutes off is, to me, rather ridiculous. 'whaa! my pretty schedule broke! how dare anything operate outside my will and control! whaa! the world isn't playing by my rules!'
(I'm thinking this is a bit Te-ish criticism but towards a normally Te-ish thing, hehe)Now, I will grant that I can benefit from working with minimal or flexible schedules, because I can easily loose track of time or become distracted despite my best intentions to take care of things. Often I can manage to not get around to certain things for a long time, even if I am accomplishing other things of importance, and thus a schedule can help remind me of things that I need or want to do. And schedules are helpful for coordinating with other people, since our personal 'moods' to do things probably aren't going to coincide naturally on their own. So there is Some value in schedules. I just prefer to know that when I need to adapt a plan, I can do so, rather than feeling locked into something that turns out not to be the best time for whatever it is.
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Whenever I stick to routines for too long, I feel dead inside. I get more stuff done, yes, but it becomes unfulfilling.
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When I was a child, I had ADHD. To help me out, my aunt (with whom I live) often tried to introduce structure into my life. I needed to wake up at the same time, do my homework as soon as I got home, go to bed at the same time, etc. This led me to rebel against schedules and structure. When I take the bus to my college, I can't stand the monotony of seeing the same parts of town over and over and over again while listening to the same songs on my phone over and over and over again. That's why I take alternate routes every now and then while also taking up reading on the bus. My brain can't handle too much repetitiveness. I honestly think it's because of my ADHD. I just need to do things the way I want them when I want them done in order to stay chill.
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Something in between. I feel really good when I have a list of things I want to do, but no schedule. I classify those to-do's in 3 categories: things to be done in the morning, afternoon & evening. Specific timings don't exist, I do them when inspiration strikes.
My mother always tells me "Pppff inspiration? If you're going to rely on that for cleaning the house you'll never do it". But I actually get inspired to clean, yes. I love cleaning and there's always a moment during the day when I feel like doing it. People don't believe me, but it's true.
But! I can't feel good if I feel obligated to do everything on the lists. I need the margin to leave a few things for another day, the freedom to decide "Uhm I actually don't want to X and the forest is calling me" so I change plans and get my ass to the forest for 5 hours. I need that flexibility otherwise I start feeling suffocated by life.
I also need my morning routine. Without it I can't function the rest of the day.
My mother always tells me "Pppff inspiration? If you're going to rely on that for cleaning the house you'll never do it". But I actually get inspired to clean, yes. I love cleaning and there's always a moment during the day when I feel like doing it. People don't believe me, but it's true.
But! I can't feel good if I feel obligated to do everything on the lists. I need the margin to leave a few things for another day, the freedom to decide "Uhm I actually don't want to X and the forest is calling me" so I change plans and get my ass to the forest for 5 hours. I need that flexibility otherwise I start feeling suffocated by life.
I also need my morning routine. Without it I can't function the rest of the day.
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