The importance and power of routine

I was never one for routine. As a young man in my 20s and 30s, I often prided myself on living spontaneously, where every day was a new adventure, something unique to behold where I could shoot from the hip and never be bored.

While it served me well and opened my mind to what was possible, I was a mess. I was always going out. At work, I was disorganized, both mentally and outwardly. I had had a meandering, unfocused career until that point. While I was sharp, I struggled to feel motivated by what I was doing. An inherently creative soul, I found tech and the corporate lifestyle to be the antithesis of what I was naturally inclined to do. My memory wasn't great, I procrastinated, I lacked focus, and frankly, I was often depressed. This led to further challenges which I won't get into here.

Then covid happened. My life was flipped upside down. Being forced to contend with myself, living in my apartment, and being alone with my thoughts, I needed to change my approach.

It started with making my bed. As my desk was in my bedroom and the bed was in the background, I needed to make my bed so that I didn't look like a total degenerate slob on Zoom calls. So I started to make my bed.

Then came my morning routine. I needed to grab coffee. Sure I could've made it at home, but as a morning person, my peak energy needed release the moment I woke up. So I went to my local coffee shop every morning. I brought my book and my journal, sat outside in my face mask and read and wrote.

Then I came home to begin work. Without the distractions of co-workers bombarding me with questions, I was able to direct my energy towards getting stuff done. This focus was not something I was ever accustomed to.

When I discussed my challenges with focus and my new found sobriety at the time with a friend, he suggested I read Atomic Habits. The book talked about the importance of maintaining strict routines and habits to ensure focus, productivity, and...creativity. By aligning to strict schedules, I could overcome the challenges I was experiencing in my life, both professionally and psychologically. Everything I had ever told myself until that point about living a life of spontaneity and unpredictability felt woefully misguided.

I took the advice of the book and started implementing other habits. I began a routine of guided mindful meditation with Sam Harris via the Waking Up app. I read his book and I embraced the idea of mindfulness to overcome the utter chaos that my brain had been up to that point.

Now sober (at the time), mindful, and focused, things started happening. My career showed the promise of growth and new challenges. I was less bored by the things I was working on. I found myself channeling my creativity in to the work I was doing and taking bigger risks that were paying off. Before I knew it, I was on a leadership trajectory and felt accomplished in what I was doing.

I got two cats. There is nothing quite like having cats to level up one's routine. Cats need to be fed at certain times, nurtured at certain times. Cats in turn wake you up at the same time every morning and force you into your routine (albeit earlier than you would like). But the cats were another grounding mechanism for me.

Then came the walking. I started doing walks, motivated by a friend. The walks started simply: the Prospect Park loop. In the summer of 2024, I'd all but given up cycling to take walks. The morning Prospect Park loop was followed by an evening repeat loop or a walk to the Metrograph in the city for a movie. There were walks to Williamsburg and Queens, walks to the Upper East and Upper West Sides. Walking became a new welcomed healthy aspect of my routine. In May 2026, I walked over 313 miles, a personal record for me.

As I sit here writing this, I realize that my whole life now revolves around routine, around habits, and healthy ones at that. I write in my journal more than I ever have and go to readings to feel creatively inspired. I have two cats who hold me to my habits. Most importantly, I don't use substances that much at all anymore and I haven't experienced depression in years.