What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. — Ecclesiastes 1:3-4
'Routine' I used to hate this word a lot. It reminded me of working on a repetitive task in a boring mood, And I don't want to do the same thing every day and find it has no meaning in my life.
Most of the time we might find ourselves doing something we don't even know why we're doing, and those things don't even fulfill our life at all.
Here are some routines that might sound similar to you.
- Wake up and keep hitting snooze until you know you’re late for work.
- Work on some assigned tasks and can’t wait to call it a day.
- Pick up your phone every few minutes throughout the day, scrolling through reels whenever you have nothing to do.
- Get back home and browse Netflix for a movie, only to end up passing out without watching anything.
If you ever find your day-to-day activities like this, I'm afraid that you're living your life on Autopilot mode.
Autopilot mode is the state of unconsciously doing activities you don't know why you do it, but you just feel like doing it.
I remember when I was living my life with an unconscious mind. My flesh was craving for all the pleasures that I could take.
- In 2018, when I was an engineering student in college, I got addicted to marijuana. All I ever thought about was smoking.
- In 2019, after I had just graduated, I got addicted to Netflix and YouTube, entertaining myself with such media and unhealthy snacks every day.
- In 2021, when short-form videos became a trend, I got addicted to reels and found myself stuck in doom-scrolling for cheap dopamine.
I studied and worked just to know that, at the end of the day, I could indulge in all these pleasures.
All the actions I took used to have a reason, which was to experience pleasure. Then it became automatic to do things without asking why, and my life felt like living on autopilot.
I indulged in all the pleasures I craved, but they didn't make me feel whole. Instead, they led me to a state of self-hatred, and I felt lost.
By allowing these impulsive behaviors to go unchecked, you're letting a stack of bad habits form routines you despise. Unchecked, these routines can lead to addiction and desperation.
It's ironic to realize that this is such a paradoxical phenomenon: the more I chase pleasure, the more I suffer from it.
I believe no one wants to fall into this disaster situation. — Indulging in all these pleasures is not a way to live a meaningful life at all.
To get out of this Autopilot mode you have to take back the control from your unconscious mind and know where the exact direction to go.
1 ) Clarify Your Vision
Where there is no vision, the people perish. — Proverbs 29:18
Living your life without a vision is like traveling on a journey without a map. It will only get you lost.
To clarify your vision, think of yourself in the future, like 5 or 10 years from now. Where do you want to see yourself?
The vision could be like this:
- I'm a Father of a wholesome family.
- I'm a guy who has achieved financial freedom.
- I'm a healthy guy with a strong physique.
These are some general examples. You can be more specific about what you want from your life. Write it all down. Visualize it by creating a vision board that you can see often. This will help you see your vision even more clearly.
2) Define Your Why Until It Becomes Your Why Not
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how. — Friedrich Nietzsche
Once you clarify your vision, it's time to validate it by defining your why: Why do you want to make it happen? Why is it important to you?
2.1) Ask yourself this question: Why is it so important?
Here are examples of applying the 'Why' question to your vision:
- Why do I want to be a father of a wholesome family?
- Love is the core value of my life. Raising children and taking care of my wife is how I express love.
- Why do I want to be a guy who has achieved financial freedom?
- I'll be able to support and take care of my family members.
- Why do I want to be a healthy guy with a strong physique?
- My life span will be longer, so I can see my kids grow up, mature, and have their own families, and I'll be able to protect my family with my strong physique.
These answers to your 'Why' should motivate how you live your life until it becomes your 'Why Not.'
2.2) Draw the path from where you are to the vision
Write down the requirements of your vision. What do you need to do daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly to get there?
Then observe how you walk on this journey. Write down your habits and activities: what's the first thing you do when you wake up, and what's the last thing? Ask yourself, 'If I keep doing this, will I make it to my vision, or will it make me go backward?' What do I need to start doing to make it to my vision? Remember, everything you do has its own consequences.
Eliminate all the obstacles to your vision that you find. It might be phone addiction, spending a lot of money without tracking, eating fast food every day, etc.
Happiness is the feeling that power increases — that resistance is being overcome. — Friedrich Nietzsche
Here's an example of how I resist picking up my phone and doom-scrolling: I deleted all the social media apps I don't need and filtered the screen's color to black and white to make it less interesting. If this is an obstacle to your vision too, resist it at all costs.
2.3) Create your routine
If you don’t create a routine, you will be assigned one. — Dan Koe
Speaking of 'Routine,' this word doesn't have to be a bad thing. A well-designed routine gives you meaningful days.
Create your routine to align with your vision and set daily goals for what needs to be done. You can design your routine by making a habit tracker on your physical notebook or software like Notion.
Make sure that your routine is leading you to your vision, not just making you productive after you've done it.
One of my habits is reading, and I gain many benefits from it to improve myself toward my vision. But without proper implementation, it will only get me nowhere.
You can read the previous article on "How to Unlock Your Potential as a High-Level Learner" here. In the article, you'll discover strategies for effective learning, and you can download these strategies as a Notion template for free here.
This daily routine you create will lead you to your vision, and to keep on track with your routine you need to be consistent by self-disciplined, if you lose it, motivate your discipline with your 'Why' until it comes back to 'Why Not'
3) Enjoy the Process
I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. — Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
You don't have to figure it all out at once. Your vision can develop over time. If trying to clarify your vision and define your 'Why' feels overwhelming, start small.
Begin by clarifying your vision through what you're already doing, such as your job. Define your 'Why' in your daily tasks, and you might discover opportunities to level up your skills or recognize the value you provide to others through your work.
If you find the value you provide and the benefits you receive from your job, your mindset might shift, making your work more enjoyable. This could be the path to uncovering your vision. But if not it might be a time to seek new opportunities.
Above all, remember to cherish the simple pleasures of life and take satisfaction from every achievement in your work, whether it's grand or small.
By clarifying your vision and defining your 'Why,' you can break free from this meaningless cycle. Don't forget to find the balance between pursuing meaningful work and taking pleasure in your efforts.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoy this meaningful weekend.
— Mu