Back to routine

Today officially marks the last day of the holiday season. For all those who are going back to work and school tomorrow, life gets back to routine.

I am looking forward to getting back to routine. It is fun to take some time off, to enjoy with family and friends. But it becomes apparent to me as the days pass by that this is not real life. I was not created for this. I find that as the time I'm off lengthens I become increasingly antsy to get back to work.

There is something very comforting about routine, and it is tough to survive for any length of time without it. Just ask the newly retired. We were made to dance to the rhythms of life and routine gives us the dance steps. At work we know what's expected of us.

Christmas shopping can be stressful with the expectations to conform to ambiguous standards of caring. How much do we spend on others, and what does that say about our thoughts about them? At work we have measurable objectives that must be reached that are not based on personal value as much as production. There is comfort in that.

Routine can destroy us without the times like the holidays where we can be free of the shackles of routine for a few days. It help us focus on the meaning of the different aspects of our lives.

Returning to work can be a love/hate relationship. But it is all about balance. In this case the balance between regimen and free reign.