Are You a Creature of Habit?

When I retired, I thought, Yippee! I don’t have to set my alarm every day, rush through breakfast, and apply my makeup in the car at red lights while heading off to work.

And yet, my life still has a pattern, a routine, an unexpected cadence that I hadn’t noticed before. However, my morning rituals have slowed down exponentially. I wake up when I am ready, unless I have a scheduled appointment or commitment. However, I know many people who have long since retired but still wake up at the same time every day and eat the same thing for breakfast. Do they find comfort in routine?

One of my goals in retirement was to free myself from a strict schedule. I love a leisurely morning with coffee and the newspaper. My husband and I were never morning TV people; we both appreciate the stillness and quiet when we first get out of bed. There is little conversation before the second cup of coffee, and that seems to suit us. A pattern? Yes, but we are flexible enough to know that not every day starts the same. Often, grandchildren arrive early, handypersons need to be met, and there are morning appointments. I am good with this; I like the change.

I know someone who loves routine. Mondays are laundry day, and Tuesdays are yard work. Each weekday is accounted for, and I am guessing she is incredibly organized and on top of household tasks. I am more of a fly by the seat of my pants gal. When the laundry basket is toppling over, and my favorite jeans are in there, I head to the laundry room.

When I can see the dust building up on the coffee table or fingerprints on the front door, I get out my cleaning supplies. I never want to be tethered to a specific day for chores.  In our house, we share cleaning duties, which means one of us has to notice that something needs to be done, and then does it. This is often in the eyes of the beholder, if you know what I mean?

Similarly, I had a client who insisted upon eating at the same establishments week after week. On Mondays, it was the steakhouse; on Tuesdays, the Italian joint; and on Wednesdays, the pizza parlor that had been in business for over fifty years. They liked the food, the familiarity, and being recognized. They often ordered the same thing each week: the rib-eye to share and enough lasagna for lunch the next day. They were busy entrepreneurs and didn’t like to cook. I get it, but I prefer diversity and trying new foods and restaurants.

I know people whose philosophy is “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” They travel to the same destination year after year. Knowing an area is important to them. They have accumulated years of memories in a familiar setting. Personally, I want to visit new cities, states, and countries, but I understand the allure.

There is no right or wrong way to observe rituals, as the following quotes remind me.

“I used to think you should keep on experimenting and seeing new things. But after seeing a lot of the world, I now tend to return to the same spots. I enjoy the familiarity.” Louise Nurding

“Even in the familiar, there can be surprise and wonder.” Tierney Gearon

For most of my life, I heard my mother say that she would never be a prisoner to a specific schedule, especially in her senior years. She witnessed this with friends and vowed to embrace change. Like most retired couples, she and my dad had a few routines but were open to spontaneity. I loved this about my parents; they were always up for an unexpected interruption, and so am I.

As the poet William Cowper said, “Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor.”

Are you a creature of habit, or do you embrace change?

Bit by bit, that’s all she wrote…