I love a well-oiled routine.
Having restrictions for parts of my day makes me feel incredibly free for the rest. And I even end up liking the restrictions themselves.
That’s what my last year in Japan was like. I had a set of tasks for my mornings, another for commuting, another for breaks, and so on. My mental workload was reduced to basic things I didn’t mind thinking about1.
Since I left Japan, I’ve struggled to set a good routine. I’ve blamed myself. I’ve blamed the people around me. I’ve blamed every possible thing I could. And I forgot to ask the right question:
What matters most to me right now?
The truth is that I felt I needed a routine because it’s worked for me in the past but it doesn’t mean that’s what I need now. Also, my life seems to insist on not letting me set one.
And so, I’ve had periods during which I studied my languages a lot and others I didn’t. I’ll let you judge which one I’m in after you’re done reading this week’s ramblings!