Meaning in life is generally considered as derived from the big ticket items of making a difference in one’s life and of having a purpose larger than oneself that makes one’s life have significance. However, on a daily basis, most of us do not live our lives in grand gestures, but in routines. In fact, routines are the fabric of our life. Routines are a common part of our day-to-day living. They make life predictable and offer simple pleasures, such as drinking your morning coffee and streaming the news on your smartphone. But can these daily routines be linked to meaning in life?
Routines may also risk falling into a rut. Routines and becoming routinized are different. Routines may be driven to achieve a goal; for example, mid-19th century British novelist Anthony Trollope rose early and had a schedule of writing a set number of words each morning prior to going to work as a postmaster. However, when routines become rigid and fixed, they are firmly established and can become ruts. For example, someone whose schedule is unvarying, such as rising early every day, working out at a precise time, eating the same food at a fixed time, and who has no room for a change in their schedule is in a rut. That type of routinized living can risk a very narrow experience of life. Moreover, some research suggests that when routines are “set in stone” it can lead to cognitive rigidity which is an obstacle to creativity. For example, doing things the same way all the time or thinking........