When you settle into a routine, it’s easy to get comfortable. This can be with the route you take to work, the groceries you buy or restaurants you dine at, the clothing you wear, the people you spend time with, the entertainment you seek, the morning or evening rituals you have, the exercise you do, and even in your conversations and the events you share with your friends or significant other.
Predictability makes things easier and allows you to perform better more consistently. It reduces the chance for surprises and mistakes. Many people seek this experience to ensure they can perform well and look good. The problem is you can’t predict everything. In fact, the older I get, the more I realize I really don’t want to predict and am not that good at it. Wanting to predict everything stems from a need for control, and as a self-proclaimed control freak, I’ve learned control is an illusion.
Life becomes boring, monotonous, and repetitious when we reduce too much of our experience to the predictable, and we miss opportunities for the spontaneous. The unplanned, serendipitous, miraculous opportunities that occur constantly when we’re present and available for them.
Some people describe their over-planned life as being in a rut, or losing their mojo, blaming the people and circumstances around them. They disappear into their well-worn patterns without questioning whether those patterns are serving or limiting them. They miss opportunities while diminishing their passion for life. At least they didn’t make a mistake or look bad.
If you’re seeking to avoid mistakes and minimize risk, having structure and discipline will support you. I believe structure creates freedom. When you create too much structure, are afraid to make mistakes, and seek rules to guide you when your head and heart know the way, you reduce access to your possibilities. The question is, will you let go to find out?
Categories: Sue's Daily Blog
