NTPs, how often do you fall into routines?
How often by your own choice?
What's the boundary between routine you like and routine you don't like?
(I'll try to sharpen the topic later.)
I have routines for pragmatic reasons (like: Get up at the same time, shower, blow-dry hair, put on clothes, put on make-up, eat breakfast, leave). If I flex the routine, I get way off course and end up being late to work. But i also find the routine tedious sometimes, I just get SO tired of doing it, consciously, and wish I could do something different.
I have other routines I like, such as getting my coffee right after I get to work and then reading e-mail.
I guess if the routines fits my interests or is self-expressive, that's cool. If the routine is purely practical, it gets old but I do it because I have to. If the routine is imposed, I'll get resentful and look for other ways.
I try pay attention when I lock the door every morning because I know if I don't I will later wonder if I locked the door. Then I won't be able to stock wondering about it.
yeah, there are things like that I do too (including taking medication).
I literally beat the experience into my head and pay attention, and I don't mix up the routine in the middle because I do not want to forget. And the routine does mean that, if I get to the end, then I did all the stuff in the middle too; in that sense it is helpful.