Falling out of Routine

Routines are the things we do every so often. They are the systems in our lives that hold us up, keep us alive, and prepare us for the future. 

Recently, I have fallen. 

Some are by choice, and some are not. Some just happened, and some I made happen. 

The thing about routines - you never notice them when they are there but can’t help but feel sad when they aren’t. 

And yes, I’m talking about not doing 3 runs a week anymore, not planning out my dinners for the week every Sunday, and not vacuuming every night before heading to bed (it broke lol). These things are by choice, whether I like it or not. They are the things I “just don’t have time for,” even though I did them all when the days were shorter and colder. 

But I’m also talking about not starting a new school year in September, not going to Jamaica sometime during the summer and ….. 

These are the things that just happened. The things that you did that you don’t quite realize you miss until you do. The things that were such a massive part of your life, you can’t help but feel strange when they don’t happen.

It’s strange to see other people living your old routines. All the university kids on the bus, cramming their notes. Some of your friends at the places you used to visit together, now with other people.

But - this gives way for new routines to develop. New ideas to form, new people to meet and new things to see.

I’ll be entirely honest - I thought I’d have so much to say when I sat down to write about how my life has changed drastically and how seeing everyone go back to school without me feels weird. It does. But it also feels exciting in a way. Even though there is no structure, no constant in my life anymore - it feels like I’m learning all these new things, meeting all these new people, and I have no clue where it will take me, but I know it will take me somewhere.

Some-where I run 3 times a week, plan out my meals, vacuum before I go to bed, go to Jamaica when I can, meet incredible people along the way and have my routine be about always moving forward.

Thanks for reading this edition of Two Steps Ahead, see you in 2 weeks,
Max