Strolling through my neighborhood with Cooper I realized that there are probably a million different combinations of paths I could take to walk an hour. I tend to take three variations of the same walk. Even Cooper leads me on the same path. Routines make life easier. They make us feel comfortable and teach us to have patience in the things we do. As humans we have a natural desire to gravitate towards things that are comfortable. Patterns allow us to run on auto-pilot.

Patterns can be useful in design. They help articulate ideas, clarify interfaces, and simplify the user experience. Design of Everyday Things is a good example of a book that elaborates on this idea. Imagine going to your favorite website, newspaper, or restaurant and having to relearn the interface or menu every time. It would be a great deal of unnecessary work.

Where am I going with this? Well, routines and patterns can be good, but stability and comfort can make you stale. They can prevent growth and give you a narrow view of the world. Change is good. Challenge yourself to expand, but do not abandoned your routines, instead embrace them and build off them. Use your routines as a launching point. Balance comfort with uneasiness, predictability with surprises, and familiarity with newness.