Monday, January 7, 2013

The Importance of Routine

Recently, a dog owner told me that he was having housebreaking issues.  Let me rephrase that - his DOG was having issues (I assume he was doing fine).  Indeed, when the dog was here, it was very messy with lots of inside accidents.  However, it's not too uncommon for a dog to get off kilter in a new environment.

Surprisingly, the owner called me when the dog was home to report that since he'd picked up the dog, there were no more accidents.  He credited the fact that the dog went out more often than at home.

Dogs love routine.  Cats love it even more.  Predictability brings stability.

Today, January 7th, is the first Monday of the new year (it's also my brother's 50th birthday - Happy Birthday Todd!).

Many people are returning to their first day of work.  While this may cause groans, other people freely admit that being back to a routine is a good thing.  Our eating habits certainly suffer, as well as exercising.  And too often, so do our habits of praying and spiritual readings.

To prevent physical and spiritual flabbiness, a consistent routine keeps us on track.

No more piddling in the house!

Did one of your habits fall to the wayside over the holidays?  What do you find comforting about routine?  Are you the type of person who likes to "shake things up?"

6 comments:

  1. Ever since Jimmy came home from the kennel after Christmas, he has let us sleep in! He no longer gets us up before 7 every day of the week and weekends. If we sleep until 9, so does he! It's a beautiful thing...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy belated birthday to Todd!!!! And definitely routine. I'm a mess without it! A mess I tell you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Routine works for me very well but sometimes I become too rigid. Vacation should help!

      Delete
  3. ROUTINE for sure!! I get a little grumpy when it gets hectic. Learning, as I age, to calm down and take things one at a time. Thank God, He helps me with this. If you notice, it is 4:25a.m. Wonka needed to go out (this is a rarity for him to need out at such an early time) and now I can't get back to sleep. Be prepared for a "grumpy" day. Maybe an early morning devotion will help. (or a mid morning nap)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, Melissa, I was awake at the same time! My sleep patterns have been a big mess for months and it is NOT serving me well.

      I hope today is not too brutal for you. Yes, take some time to pray and get centered with God.

      Delete