Routinely Speaking

Routine:  A course of action to be followed regularly; a standard procedure.

This has always been a tough concept for me, one that's usually solved by trying to remember the concept of balance, also a tough concept.  I do have a tendency to swing ferociously between extremes befitting my reputation as an all-or-nothing kind of guy.  

I know that if I don't slot some activity into my schedule I don't have a good track record of getting the activity done, especially when the activity is hard or painful or time-consuming.  I had my swim slotted in this morning and I'll tell you my reaction, as I lowered myself into the cold water, many gasping laps ahead of me, was not: "Hurrah!  I get to flounder up and down my lane for the next 35 minutes."  I'm pretty sure that if I don't make it part of my routine it's not going to happen.

I'm that way with my Program, too.  While I enjoy the overall effect of meetings and phone calls and fellowship I'm not always fired up about the process.  Yesterday the alarm went off about 5AM which gives me enough time to creep around and still get there on time.  My reaction was more along the lines of: "%^&!!.  Are you %^&!! kidding me, you miserable %^&!! piece of %^&!!."  But I got up, got ready, and got to the meeting.  Glad I do.  Not slotted in?  Not going to go.

But I don't want to be a slave to my routine.  I usually get up but if I don't it's.  It's not the end of the world.