It has been said; we are creatures of habit, but does it also say they kill our dreams. That sounds dramatic but true nonetheless. We are creatures of habits and routines that get in the way of our success and creating the life we want.

All routines and habits are not bad, but they get in our way. Routines that we create consciously to meet a goal may have some value, i.e. go to the gym at 6 am before heading to work. That routine, though on the face of it has value, may also get in our way. Going to the gym four times a week, allowing changes in how your meet that goal is another way of meeting your goal.

Routine and Unconsciousness

Why am I down on routines? Routines become automatic ways of being that create periods of unconsciousness. We do not have to think twice because the action is automatic. As an intuitive, I am aware of the importance of being conscious in each moment, so when we are in a routine, we lose part of our self.

Routines Control

Routines begin to control and keep us from becoming aware of new possibilities, focusing on something different or doing things in another way. Have you ever tried to alter your routine? For example, if the first thing you do each day is check for text messages or email, can you imagine altering that routine? Can you feel the resistance to that change?

I conduct retreats for women, and the first hurdle is to make everyone comfortable being out of their routine. The retreats focus on goals and success though the attendees are adjusting to changes in their personal routine for the first day or two and find it challenging.  To focus on goals, means to allow change.

Routines Steal Time

Most routines relate to times in our day so on an unconscious level we are not open to considering or being aware of how we might use that time to achieve a more important goal. Routines take up time even if they do appear to be helping us achieve a goal. One of my clients wants to create a personal life to augment her successful career but is getting nowhere with this. The only thing in her way is routine. Get up, walk the dog, go to work, come home, what the dog, have dinner, relax, take care of personal business, go to bed and it starts again. From her perspective, it is a matter of no time. From an intuitive perspective, it is a matter of routine. I know that is not logical, but she changed her routine and found she had time to engage with others sparking social experiences. She admitted that she resisted change, did not believe that she had the time and was uncomfortable at first but found a new level of freedom and experiences once she got out of her routine. She found the time.

Routines Are Past Time
Routines relate to past time goals. We create a routine at some point to help us solve a problem or achieve a goal. Over time, it becomes a habit, and the original goal obscured by the routine.

Allow Discomfort

Routines make us comfortable because they are familiar. To create a new goal, to achieve something, requires change. Change is always uncomfortable to one degree or another. The power of routines and our need to seek comfort is undeniable but to achieve something new requires us to allow the discomfort that comes with change.

Energy Stuck By Routines

A routine creates an energy pattern in our space, a particular vibration and spin pattern that becomes set. The energy created by a routine can become so strong that it takes focus and commitment to change it. If we do not change our routines periodically that energy becomes set, controls our space and our awareness. It makes us feel like nothing is changing, and that we are not achieving our goals.

A writer told me he had written every morning after a cup of coffee for years but all of a sudden he could not write. I suggested that he still write every day but change his routine and write different times of the day and in different places, not always in his office. He became angry at the thought of changing his routine even though it was no longer working for him. Since writing was his livelihood he had to do something so he tried my suggestion. For the first week, he suffered greatly with the change in his routine and accomplished nothing. I encouraged him to continue with our plan of writing at different times and places. Once he got out of resistance to changing his routine and the discomfort that created, he found new inspiration and was back at writing. In the end, he decided to pick a time and place for each project and stick with that until it was completed then he would pick another time and place for his next project. The change worked for him, and he found his enthusiasm as a writer again.

Freedom From Routines

When we come out of a routine, we have access to more of our space, energy, thoughts, creativity and possibilities. We can create something new or in a new way. Take the time to name your routines. Make a list. Pick one at a time and change it. If it feels too hard to change then, you are experiencing your energy stuck in a particular spin pattern that is getting in the way of your dreams and your success. Create a plan to begin to come out of that routine and experience a new level of success.

Best wishes on your success, Kay