The word ROUTINE, bouncing in my mind for several days, is now bouncing to you. From the vantage point of observing three-year-olds, applying their first semblance of routine in dressing themselves and lining up toys and blocks while older siblings are at school, to 90-year-olds who employ routine for the proficient handling of responsibilities like dressing, healthcare and other daily activities, routine works. see routine. This going-on 91-year-old employs various daily routines in order to work in reading, walking, writing, exercising, phone calling, church meetings, housework, appointments, yardwork and hopefully, a nap.
Fashioning helpful routines is natural for some but not for all. We learn very soon that some people are organized to the hilt, mentally preplanning the progress of moving methodically from one task to another, necessary for smooth-sailing throughout the week with finishing --work it must be done --playing a significant role in every accomplishment., while an equally large segment are particularly excited while they’re in the process—of new tasks or projects, enjoying a work it must be fun, achievements.
Discussing this topic with my 94-year-old brother John, a father, grandfather, teacher, preacher, counselor, professor--who taught routine—and still has many irons in the fire--a prime example of a routine expert—suggested, “Reassessing routine is the best approach. Like Socrates declared decades ago, ‘The unexamined life is not worth living,’ “
Research: Routine, an adjective; performed as part of a regular procedure rather than for a special reason. "The principal insisted that this was just a routine annual drill". The synonym-list below describes many expressions of routine.
similar, standard, regular, customary, accustomed, normal, usual, ordinary, established, natural, unexceptional, typical, everyday, common, commonplace, conventional, day-to-day, habitual, wonted, familiar, organize according to a routine, "all had been ‘routined’ with smoothness",
My informal question, “What does routine mean to you?” revealed colorful viewpoints.
I just fall into routine. That’s what I need to learn to do. Can you give me some hints? Routine gets me to where I know I’m eventually going to wind up. Routine is finding a pattern for getting things done smoothly. Distractions interfere with my routine causing me to hurry at the last minute, a nurse shared. Organizing early morning procedures with the least amount of back-tracking to get to work on time. Establishing routines are like games to me, endeavoring to take fewer steps as quickly as possible. I complicate routine with nonessential motions. Regarding routine positively, I settle down into a routine of work and sleep, but negatively, there’s no escaping the boring daily drill. And finally, Evidently, we can have too much or too little of routine…like sugar, salt or spice.
“Routine keeps me focused toward accomplishments that bring me joy,” my 95-year-old widowed sister remarked. She and her husband, missionaries to Africa for 17 years, raised a family; for several years, she accompanied her vocalist/speaker husband as they traveled. Currently she is involved with her extended family and retirement-village friends. She’s a master of expediency.
According to my son, David: Routines are necessary when playing serious volleyball, because you have to be aware of the playing-routines of your team and to be able and ready to read the routines of the challenging team players.
My sister-in-law, Eileen, who lost total vision in the space of several days, shared, “I’ve had to create totally new routines depending more on touching, hearing and smelling. I still maintain routines of doing as much for myself as possible. Mac takes excellent care of me, putting what I need on certain tables. If I need him when he’s upstairs in his counseling office, I audio text a message.
Adhering to Socrates’ admonition for examining our daily life, applies to attitudes and actions but periodically checking the validity of our current routines is advantageous. Questions could be: Am I benefiting from this pattern? Am I stuck? Am I running in circles creating unnecessary steps? Significant changes in households such as surgery, job changes, retirement, accidents, moving, adding a child to the household, or merely getting older, etc., rarely glide neatly into easy scheduling.
Routine Disruptors: Telephone calls, texts, child, animal needs which completely realign our well laid-out plans. Speaking from an Intuitive’s viewpoint, the most frequent disrupters which I face are merely innocent distractions which quickly switch me to another project not to fully realize until later that I was easily drawn away.
Occasionally, when Jim was making auto repairs, he’d ask me to hold the flashlight. While I watched, and listened, he had certain no-fail routines in how he’d disassemble and then reassemble auto parts. Often, he would share his joy in finding a faster way to make a certain repair. He liked to save time in outdoor projects to fit in all the study he did in sermon preparation, and biographies for enjoyment plus enjoying sports on TV. Jim liked not only to finish a project or repair, but he also cleaned up the mess and put all his tools away where they belonged. I really appreciated that we agreed on availing routines in our long, wonderful and productive life.
The following list is for those who’ve requested simple steps in getting started using routines.
1. Review the next day’s schedule.
2. The minutes needed for my normal morning schedule
3. The time needed in assisting others who are leaving.
4. Determine how long it will take (walk/drive to the destination (considering the weather, current road conditions, the normal traffic flow at that time of the day and allowing 15 minutes for early arrival)
5. Time to leave. If time is not a factor, just organize—string together—the tasks on your schedule.
Flexibility is the best attitude accompanying routine. Flexible and routine work in tandem because many small as well as large happenings can throw a well-orchestrated routine off its rails. Flexibility is the routine rescuer. My brother Mac reminded me as we chatted about routine, to remind readers that there are times when the strongest routines HAVE to be broken. It’s no secret, either, that being flexible becomes more difficult as one ages.
While Jim is my subject, I’ll share for new readers the significance of this particular time of year when five years ago, Jim was diagnosed with fast growing cancerous brain tumors. I spent 12 hours a day with him at the hospital. While he was receiving therapy at the rehab, COVID hit our town and the new rule--no visitors after that day. Knowing our predicament, the head nurse contacted Hospice and announced to Jim that he would be going home by ambulance at 5 pm that day. Was he ever glad to be home!
Our last ten days with Jim were spent with the children and their spouses who came to assist. Roger’s wife, Elaine, a home health-care PT, assisted the hospice nurses. A few close friends, our grandchildren, and my brothers, John, from Ohio, Mac and son, Greg, from Ga. visited. Jim really enjoyed seeing, and talking with them. Mac prayed an inspiring and comforting prayer.
One morning as I stood by his bed, Jim said, “I see the gates”, to which I replied, “Well, let’s go, I’ll Walk with you to the gates.” Then I sang, ‘This is the Day that the Lord has made’, one of his favorite choruses. He said, “Text Shirley, (my sister who’d passed away a year ago) and tell her to save a bed for me.” He was not only aware that leaving for his forever home was close, but he was lucid and his humor fully intact. The tumors made it difficult for him to speak very loudly, but later that same day, when I was holding his hand and talking to him, he asked, “Will you be okay?” and I assured him that I would; that the kids would take care of me. He squeezed my hand and mouthed, “I love you.”
The next morning, we were all present as he breathed his last breath at 6:57 am, March 25. Roger prayed. While we waited for the coroner to arrive, we had Jim’s funeral with Roger officiating.
Please feel free to share your comments and/or questions.
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Prov. 16:9 NIV. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk in it. Isa. 30:21 NIV. For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps. I Peter. 2:21 NAS.