If I'm honest, most of what happens to me in
a particular day happens without me giving it
much thought. I wake up and I make coffee. I
find my comfortable chair. I find my computer.
And then I try to put my best thoughts down for
the day. And my day ends in a predictable way
as well. I do like routines. My patterns simplify
my life. I do not have to reconsider from the
beginning how to brush my teeth or to make coffee
or to lock the house at night. Routines preserve
my attention for things that require more thought.
So in this limited sense, a routine resembles
an algorithm. An algorithm is a repeatable series
of steps for accomplishing a task. The word comes
from the Latinized name of a 9th century Persian
mathematician, Mohammed ibn Musa al -Khawarizmi.
And al -Khawarizmi presented systematic methods
for calculating and solving equations. A great
mathematician indeed. Now, the great advantage
of a method is that we do not have to rediscover
it every time. Once we've worked out a dependable
series of steps, we can use that knowledge, then
teach it and share it and use it again. Our routines
offer a similar benefit. A good routine makes
a worthwhile action easier to repeat. So how
about you? Maybe you prepare tomorrow's lunch
the night before, or call a parent every Sunday,
or take a walk after dinner, or maybe you pause
before answering when a conversation becomes
tense. Repeated patterns can help us become more
dependable. But routines have another side. A
pattern can continue after it has stopped serving
us. We may reach for a phone whenever silence
appears, or we might say yes before considering
whether we really have time. Or we may end each
night consuming information that leaves us restless.
None of these choices seem particularly important
by itself. but their influence comes through
repetition. A meaningful life is not constructed
only through those rare dramatic decisions. It
is also shaped by ordinary actions performed
so frequently that we barely notice them. In
actual terms, we talk about severity and frequency.
What we're talking about here is frequency, not
severity. So this week, we will consider the
patterns that organize our attention, our priorities,
and how we use technology. We will not try to
optimize every moment or treat human beings like
machines. Our goal is simply to notice what we
repeat and the choices that they're producing.
So are our routines helping us give more attention
to what matters? Or are they deciding what matters
behind the scenes, before we have the opportunity
to choose. So our goal for today is not to redesign
your entire life, but maybe observe one small
pattern. What is one routine that has more influence
over the rest of your day than you usually notice?
Let's not focus on the change yet. First, simply
notice what it helps you to do and where it tends
to lead.