The more things change, the more they stay the same

We get so ingrained in our daily routines, our lives become habitual. Our days operate like clockwork. We talk about our bad habits, the things we do that come so naturally to us that we wish didn't. And, perhaps less frequently, we talk about good habits. But the way we live, in fact, becomes one big habit.

We all fall into the trap of habitiual motion. We're caught off guard by the slightest differences, the slightest upsets in the routine.

This morning, I felt a sense of unease because traffic was lighter than usual on my way to work. I felt eerily alone on the streets for my morning drive. It was a change from what I'm used to.

I leave my house for work at the same time every day. I travel the same route. The traffic is always the same. I go to the same building for work. I think the same morning thoughts as I punch the code to the back door. I sit down at the same desk, open up the same laptop and begin the same day. I have it practically down to science. I check my e-mail and get caught up on world news and celebrity gossip (we all have our vices). I spend the first bit of my day easing into my day. Then comes the exchanging of e-mails and the phone calls. I flip through my post-it note to-do lists and typically add on to them. I conduct interviews, I research, I write. At about the same times every day, I feel the hunger pangs that drive me to raid my snack drawer or compel me to eat lunch.

I felt a sense of dread this morning when I realized how monotonous my life had become that fewer cars on the road caused me to do a double take. Sometimes I forget that change can be good, spontaneity can be good, straying from the norm can be good. Sometimes you just need to drive a different route, listen to a different radio station, think outside the box. Don't let life become a habit.