If you’re neuro-spicy like me, I probably don’t need to explain the importance of routine, habits, and flow state. If you haven’t figured it out, then here is a look at the interaction of these three things from my personal perspective.
Habits
People talk about building habits like they are something you just sit down and do. Some of them yes. I have a cup of coffee in the morning, every morning, unless there is a very good reason not to. I have also managed (with some work) to build that same stability around brushing my teeth. There are other actions which are much harder to make habitual. Working through a devotional passage, or reading a chapter of a book? Not something I automatically do every morning. But I do read the news.
Here is the thing. Habits are built out of feedback loops. I didn’t build a habit of reading the news every morning. I took an existing habit where I would sit and stare at my phone while drinking coffee, and made it slightly more productive. I can build a habit of doing my devotional reading almost every morning, because the book sits next to the couch where I drink my coffee and it is easy to pick up. I walk my dog every day – not because going for a walk every morning is healthy (it is though) but because he stares at me with those puppy dog eyes until I break and take him for a walk. Sometimes in the rain.
Are these just habits? Or are they feeding into something bigger? Is a habit something like fiddling with my hair when I’m thinking? Is it the one I’ve broken, where I used to chew my nails? Habits are the things we do without having to think about it anymore. I tie back my hair when I need to focus. That’s a habit. I listen to instrumental music whilst writing and working, that may be a habit.
Routine
So let’s look at the longer term impact of building these habits. If I do things at the same time every day it is not just a habit. It is a routine. Every morning looks the same. I drag myself out of bed and make coffee, then I sit on the couch, go through my phone and (hopefully) my Bible reading. Then I go shower before walking my dog, making breakfast, and starting work. I’ve had to change this routine a few times, and I’m never entirely pleased about it. I find it much easier to get up in summer, and then I might even be able to find time to go for a run before work. In winter, I lose that because the sun only rises after 7am.
Other routines are on a slower cycle. I work for five days of the week, then don’t work for two. On many Thursdays I go practice music at my church. On Sundays there is a service to attend, then either an afternoon off, or a D&D game with friends. I like the fact that I can do things at reliable times. It is the same every week, and I don’t have to apply a lot of cognitive effort to remembering when I need to be where. It is the same as it was last week – be at hockey training by 7pm on Thursday, or 8pm on Tuesday.
Why is this important?
Breaking the routine can have much bigger impacts than people expect. If I plan ahead for it that is one thing. I can warn people that I will be missing or out of sorts. If something comes up unexpectedly, and I haven’t planned for it, the break in my routine can throw me off for a couple of days. If not longer. Asking me to handle unplanned interruptions in my week is one of the most challenging things you can send my way. Not just because it breaks the routine, it also interrupts the cycle of emotional and mental energy income and expenditure. If I suddenly have to deal with people in a more intense manner, I am going to be miserable about it. Not because I hate people. I just wasn’t planning on using that energy, and now my account is running dry.
When the time and structure of a fixed point in my routine changes, it can lead me to all manner of confusion. Mostly bearable — if training is at a funny time for some reason I can cope. Sometimes it is big enough that I will just end up feeling anxious, irritable, and grumpy. I will no longer be able to focus properly, and I’m left feeling like the world is against me. Is it anyone’s fault? Not really. If I haven’t made my boundaries clear I can’t blame people for pushing against them. It doesn’t lessen the impact of a seemingly innocent question though.
Flow State
Before I get on my soap box about routine, let’s talk about the third aspect. Flow State. This is something which is mentioned in all manner of creative circles. Whether you are a writer, an artist, a musician, or some other manner of creative. Writing code counts. You know that it takes a few minutes to go from staring at the keyboard or the canvas to actually laying down lines. It takes time and failure. There are false starts. And every time a person interrupts you, you have to start again from the beginning. If it is a small enough interruption you may be able to get back into flow faster, but a full size interruption can cost you an extra 30 minutes.
Why do I include this with routine and habit?
A lot of my routine and habits are about managing flow time. Not planning things which will interrupt my time spent creating. Not having to worry about admin tasks during work ours. Not having to keep an ear open for that delivery. Keeping a block of time without meetings, or slack messages. Turning off notifications on my phone so that even if there is a conversation happening in a group chat, I don’t get distracted by it. Making sure my mental state is clear and healthy to be able to approach a problem effectively.
When something gives
Breaking my routine, and interrupting my habits can lead to a loss of flow time. Not through malice, not even through gross incompetence. Through a simple misunderstanding of what works for me. When I lose that flow time, I lose the ability to perform to my own high standards, and it is not so much that I feel like I am under-performing, as I find myself quietly angry about everything. Wishing people would “just do the thing the way it works for me”. Or thinking “that was precisely the decision I didn’t want to have to make, that’s why I delegated it. If you aren’t going to be able to make things easier for me I might as well do it myself.”
That’s not necessarily fair to the person I am delegating to. It does reflect an interesting aspect of interaction which people may forget to ask about. When picking up a piece of work, it is important to understand what the end goal is, and how much input the stakeholder wants. It is important to ask “how far do you want me to run with this?” It is also important to pay attention to the details. Does “I over communicate” mean “I can’t make any decisions myself and will be constantly asking you for input”, or does it mean “I give updates at each step so you can see what I am doing and interrupt if necessary”?
So yes, this is a grumpy “out of routine” blog post. One part rant, one part introspection. Life happens, and sometimes we have to roll with the punches. But sometimes it makes sense to turn and stand against the tide, enough is enough, boundaries are set, my part is now done.
Pippa Hillebrand 