When the Routine Breaks

If you’ve been reading these missives, you know that I am a habitual exerciser. I lay out my clothes the night before, think through what I want to do, and wake up and GO. The routine is almost automatic — the decision was already made the night before, so there’s nothing to negotiate with myself about in the morning.

So what happens when that ritual is interrupted?

I’m away from home for a few weeks, and my groove is gone. No home gym. And the dog needs to go out — which at home means opening the back door, but here means actually getting out and going for a walk every morning, and other times throughout the day. Which, honestly, isn’t the worst thing. But it’s different, and different takes more effort.

What I’ve noticed is that when the routine breaks down, I have to actually think. What do I want to do today? What do I need? Stripped of habit, I’m left with intention. And intention can be a pretty good thing.

Breaking habits — even good ones — can be a real time of growth.

This got me thinking about how much of life runs on autopilot — not because we’ve consciously chosen it, but just because we’ve always done it that way. Our financial lives are especially prone to this. A charitable contribution set up years ago that quietly renews. A will drafted when the kids were small that hasn’t been looked at since (thankfully, most twentysomethings don’t need guardians!). A vague sense that we’ll get to the legacy conversation eventually.

Disruption hands us something we don’t always make time for: a chance to stop and ask whether what we’re doing still fits who we are now.

Just as I’ve had to be more deliberate about exercise this month, it’s worth being deliberate about your giving and your legacy. Not because something is broken, but because a pause — whether intentional or not — gives us a chance to make more conscious choices.

When did you last look at your charitable giving and ask if it still reflects what matters most to you? Has something changed — a move, a retirement, the world — that’s nudging you to revisit your plan? And what do you actually want your legacy to feel like to the people and causes you care about?

I’ll find my rhythm again soon. But I hope I bring something back from this disrupted stretch — the reminder that intentional beats automatic, in the gym and in life.

So here’s my question for you: what habit or assumption in your own life might be worth disrupting on purpose? What could you learn from stepping out of your own groove? And how can I help you preserve and grow your Good Name?

Fondly,

Kari