There’s a lot to be said about the benefits of routine. When asked the secrets of their longevity, nonagenarians and beyond often cite living a simple life steeped in routine. The same diet, the same activities, the same schedule. It all makes for a consistent and stable lifestyle that appears to add up to a healthy one. But what about the repetitive nature of it all? Does the joy get lost after a while? Does the novelty wear off? Is there a conflict between routine and repetition?

A few years ago someone I admire greatly gave me some advice. She said to “never live the same year twice”.

I’d started to become acutely aware of being stuck in a rut professionally. I felt compelled to make a change but was struggling with some limiting beliefs, which were keeping me in a role I’d outgrown while I tried to achieve more so I would feel credible enough to apply for something new. One October Sunday evening I was packing up at a conference I’d worked every year for the past few years. As I looked ahead to the next year I could already visualise my diary. I realised I was about to repeat the same year again, but to my horror, not twice, for the fifth time in a row. From nowhere I heard the words “You are not coming here next year”. It dawned I was stuck in an insane loop and the incremental gains from delivering the next interesting project were just not worth delaying the learning opportunities on offer from starting something new. Enough finally was enough, as was I. In that moment I committed to change, and a new mantra: New year, different year.

So how does living a new year every year work in the world of the routine? Is it possible to live a new year each year?

Since that October I’ve changed jobs, relocated away from my home town, made new friends, picked back up some hobbies I’d lost along the way and discovered a few new ones. A lot has changed and each year has been very different. The thing is, that old creature-of-habit routine is creeping back in. As I reflect on 2016 I see quite a bit of 2015 in there. As I look ahead to 2017 and the things I hope to do, there’s quite a bit of 2016 potentially coming along for the ride.

And then there’s the micro level. Routine exists in abundance on a daily basis. Monday to Friday is pure routine. Being employed requires certain regular commitments. I have quite an operational role, which means the weeks and months tend to have the same rhythm. The market we operate in is highly seasonal with little variation year on year. More routine.

It seems that repetition is inevitable. Where I’ve started to see the line between repetition and routine more recently is as one to be trodden with balance and flexibility. A new year can still be different, even if your day to day looks similar year to year. I will repeat some things in 2017 that I did in 2016 because they invigorate and break up my day to day life. I see the year being a series of cycles operating at different levels. The micro routine where your healthy habits live (diet, exercise, sleep), punctuated with bursts of freshness and excitement (the crazy nights out, the trips with friends, travelling adventures), which repeat throughout the year, becoming a macro routine in themselves. But what really makes a year new is the lens at which you look at it.

In 2016 I decided to embark on a year of rejuvenation. I gave the year a theme. I quit sugar for a while, invested in learning about mindful self-compassion, worked harder in the gym, committed to regular life coaching and undertook a leadership course which challenged me on my productivity and professional potential. I took on myself across mind, body and soul, with the aim of getting back to myself. This combination, while resulting in small changes to my micro routine and some new & exciting adventures amongst the routine, didn’t make the year look that different on paper, but how I feel about the year is totally new. In fact, this year has been possibly the most poignant I’ve ever had. How I now feel about myself and my future is totally different as I head towards 2017, thanks to 2016.

So is there really a conflict between routine and repetition? Does a routine take the joy out of life? I don’t think it does. It’s about how ‘routine’ you live. How rigid your routine is. How much repetition are you comfortable with? I’ve also realised that the idea of ‘never living the same year twice’ could also be rigid if interpreted to the letter. Creating a new theme for your new year and crafting it into your routine is how I choose to live the mantra, and I think that is the real spirit of the advice. Because if you are working towards living or feeling a certain way, then your routine will naturally shift, even if just subtly, to align towards it. And that feels a pretty good way to live.

Photo credit: Daniel Reche