What Your Daily Routines Say About You
By definition, habits are automatic. We rarely think much about them.
But our habits can tell us a lot about ourselves. That's especially true of our daily routines. Over decades and thousands of repetitions, we’ve been refining those routines to fit who we are.
The following questions about daily routines may help you identify your core characteristics. Also, they'll confirm what you already believe about yourself. Or maybe they’ll inspire you to make a change.
Consider writing your answers. That will likely clarify your thinking and make it easier to review your thoughts at the end.
Getting dressed. On a typical day, how long does it take you to get dressed and be ready for others to see you, if only on Zoom? Some people take just a few minutes while others extend beyond an hour. What does that say about you? Does that make you want to change anything?
Showering or bathing. Are you almost military: You take a 3-minute highly efficient shower, or do you like to take your time, even luxuriate? What does that say about you? Do you want to change anything?
Eating. How much time do you spend preparing food and eating? Are you eating as healthily as you want? Some people believe diet is crucial, others think its importance is overrated, and others are in the middle. How about you? Anything you want to change?
At work. Do you show up on time? Do you get right to work, doing the important or difficult work first while fresh? Do you focus more on quality or on speed, or vary depending on the task’s importance? Do your work products often get returned to you for fixing? Do you eat at your desk while working or do you often take long lunches? Do you stop working earlier or later in the day than do your peers? Does any of the foregoing make you want to change anything?
In recreation, do you usually look for an adrenaline rush, for example, playing action-packed video games, watching thrillers, playing or watching sports fervidly? Or are your recreations mainly de-stressers: reading, writing, watching calming movies and TV shows, playing a musical instrument, doing volunteer work, or crafting such as needlework? Want to change?
Bedtime. Do you follow the standard advice: Maintain a regular bedtime routine, or do you vary a lot, for example, the time you go to bed, dental hygiene, taking any meds? Want to change?
The takeaway
Now review your answers. If you’re being honest with yourself, are you actually ready to change anything about yourself? Perhaps a part of a daily routine? Or might you want to make a broader change? For example, perhaps you see too much speed or too much sloth in the way you’re living. Or conversely, you might think, “I like myself and my routines pretty much the way they are.”