WEBVTT 00:00:01.960 --> 00:00:05.259 If I'm honest, most of what happens to me in 00:00:05.259 --> 00:00:08.320 a particular day happens without me giving it 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:12.820 much thought. I wake up and I make coffee. I 00:00:12.820 --> 00:00:16.320 find my comfortable chair. I find my computer. 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:19.559 And then I try to put my best thoughts down for 00:00:19.559 --> 00:00:23.079 the day. And my day ends in a predictable way 00:00:23.079 --> 00:00:28.420 as well. I do like routines. My patterns simplify 00:00:28.420 --> 00:00:31.940 my life. I do not have to reconsider from the 00:00:31.940 --> 00:00:35.439 beginning how to brush my teeth or to make coffee 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:39.100 or to lock the house at night. Routines preserve 00:00:39.100 --> 00:00:42.219 my attention for things that require more thought. 00:00:42.979 --> 00:00:46.479 So in this limited sense, a routine resembles 00:00:46.479 --> 00:00:50.659 an algorithm. An algorithm is a repeatable series 00:00:50.659 --> 00:00:54.799 of steps for accomplishing a task. The word comes 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:58.179 from the Latinized name of a 9th century Persian 00:00:58.179 --> 00:01:03.119 mathematician, Mohammed ibn Musa al -Khawarizmi. 00:01:03.640 --> 00:01:07.500 And al -Khawarizmi presented systematic methods 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:11.140 for calculating and solving equations. A great 00:01:11.140 --> 00:01:15.000 mathematician indeed. Now, the great advantage 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:17.879 of a method is that we do not have to rediscover 00:01:17.879 --> 00:01:21.140 it every time. Once we've worked out a dependable 00:01:21.140 --> 00:01:24.760 series of steps, we can use that knowledge, then 00:01:24.760 --> 00:01:30.129 teach it and share it and use it again. Our routines 00:01:30.129 --> 00:01:34.090 offer a similar benefit. A good routine makes 00:01:34.090 --> 00:01:38.709 a worthwhile action easier to repeat. So how 00:01:38.709 --> 00:01:41.549 about you? Maybe you prepare tomorrow's lunch 00:01:41.549 --> 00:01:44.909 the night before, or call a parent every Sunday, 00:01:45.069 --> 00:01:48.909 or take a walk after dinner, or maybe you pause 00:01:48.909 --> 00:01:52.010 before answering when a conversation becomes 00:01:52.010 --> 00:01:56.989 tense. Repeated patterns can help us become more 00:01:56.989 --> 00:02:01.200 dependable. But routines have another side. A 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:04.439 pattern can continue after it has stopped serving 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:07.819 us. We may reach for a phone whenever silence 00:02:07.819 --> 00:02:11.620 appears, or we might say yes before considering 00:02:11.620 --> 00:02:15.680 whether we really have time. Or we may end each 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:20.099 night consuming information that leaves us restless. 00:02:21.300 --> 00:02:24.759 None of these choices seem particularly important 00:02:24.759 --> 00:02:28.250 by itself. but their influence comes through 00:02:28.250 --> 00:02:32.349 repetition. A meaningful life is not constructed 00:02:32.349 --> 00:02:36.669 only through those rare dramatic decisions. It 00:02:36.669 --> 00:02:39.050 is also shaped by ordinary actions performed 00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:43.689 so frequently that we barely notice them. In 00:02:43.689 --> 00:02:47.449 actual terms, we talk about severity and frequency. 00:02:47.889 --> 00:02:51.949 What we're talking about here is frequency, not 00:02:51.949 --> 00:02:55.949 severity. So this week, we will consider the 00:02:55.949 --> 00:02:59.669 patterns that organize our attention, our priorities, 00:02:59.909 --> 00:03:03.870 and how we use technology. We will not try to 00:03:03.870 --> 00:03:06.849 optimize every moment or treat human beings like 00:03:06.849 --> 00:03:10.770 machines. Our goal is simply to notice what we 00:03:10.770 --> 00:03:13.710 repeat and the choices that they're producing. 00:03:14.310 --> 00:03:18.810 So are our routines helping us give more attention 00:03:18.810 --> 00:03:22.689 to what matters? Or are they deciding what matters 00:03:22.689 --> 00:03:26.090 behind the scenes, before we have the opportunity 00:03:26.090 --> 00:03:31.250 to choose. So our goal for today is not to redesign 00:03:31.250 --> 00:03:34.669 your entire life, but maybe observe one small 00:03:34.669 --> 00:03:39.310 pattern. What is one routine that has more influence 00:03:39.310 --> 00:03:43.110 over the rest of your day than you usually notice? 00:03:44.169 --> 00:03:47.789 Let's not focus on the change yet. First, simply 00:03:47.789 --> 00:03:51.409 notice what it helps you to do and where it tends 00:03:51.409 --> 00:03:52.009 to lead.