Dan Cumberland: On Routine

I believe in the power of habit and routine. It’s all about conserving your willpower to allow you to focus on what matters most to you.

Maybe that morning I needed kindness more than I needed consistency.

One of the great parts of having a routine is being able to break your routine.

A routine keeps you on task and keeps you moving when things are hard (which can be often). It also gives you space and a structure to work within. And it gives you a structure to break when it makes sense.

There has to be a balance here— if you always break your routine, then it’s not a routine — but sometimes breaking your routine is exactly what you need.

A routine is a lot like music and art theory— it provides a structure to work within. Whether or not a musician actively studies theory, their work (if it’s good) works within that structure. And, similar to a routine, their work breaks that structure from time to time.

If they didn’t abide by the “rules” of theory, their music would not make sense (the rules give us guidelines to what we should expect), but if they abide by all the rules, what they make is boring.

By breaking the rules — carefully and intentionally — artists can create something new, different, and surprising. It’s the same way with your routine.

Keep the routine because it will make your life work for you, and then break your routine when it needs to be broken.

Sometimes breaking your routine is really important. Sometimes life, energy, and creativity are found outside of your usual routine.


-Dan Cumberland


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