“I love routine. Until I’m bored, then I love excitement. Until I’m overwhelmed, then I love routine.”

I don’t remember where I found this quote but it describes me perfectly. When I have no routine, I am nearly incapacitated until I have established one. Other times I find life mundane and strive to “mix things up.” I think it’s great to have balance of routine and excitement in life. However, it can be easy to go overboard on one or the other.

Routine helps us use our time efficiently and really accomplish significant tasks. Having a similar pattern to your days helps to achieve long-term goals and habits. Want to become a morning person? That won’t happen overnight. The best way to do this to establish nighttime and morning routines that will help your body get used to the shift. For me, I crave and depend on routine and structure to get through the day. Without consistency, I feel overwhelmed and directionless. There is really no better feeling than crossing items off of a to-do list.

On the other hand, variety is the spice of life. I love having no set plan, especially when traveling. Spontaneity is attractive because it is so unexpected. Sometimes the most meaningful moments in life are ones that we never could have imagined. College is a perfect time to be spontaneous because you may find yourself with fewer responsibilities. Sometimes I avoid new things because I know I will be bad at them. It’s hard to have fun doing things that you are bad at doing. However, it can be exciting to try new things and learn what life has to offer.

Routine and excitement balance one another and we certainly need both. Routine brings us down to earth while excitement provides levity and joy. So follow your routine, but be open to whatever happens next.