Routine can be comforting. It can be efficient and helpful. It can be how we get things done.

It can also be as confining as a straight jacket.

I’m wavering somewhere between needing more routine to improve my productivity and commitment to goals – and needing less to encourage creative thinking and happiness.

I have previously been stuck in routines that weren’t so healthy, the kind where I hit snooze for an hour and go screeching out the door, late for work. I’ve come home nightly to the same tv shows, same dinner, same bedtime and same lack of motivation that kept me stuck in a rut. These are the straight jacket variety of routines that hold us back and keep us making unhealthy choices.

Change in routine last week helped me create a more structured morning. These were less rushed, more satisfying mornings as well. The structure of a routine keeps me honest and keeps me in line even on busy days.

Of course, all hope for routine goes out the window at work. I don’t have that kind of job most days so I just acknowledge that every day is a new adventure and go with the flow.

Meanwhile, last week I began looking for ways to exercise my brain and to think differently, to think outside my usual boxes. I listened to different music on my commute and found ways to enjoy chores I might ordinarily avoid. I suppose you could say that looking for the small ways to be different became part of my routine.

Whether it’s going on adventure, trying a new restaurant or finding a new way to do something ordinary, any break from routine is welcome. Plus, doing one thing that’s different often inspires looking for more changes.

Consider your own day. What needs better structure? What changes can you make to improve even one piece of your day? Start there and begin looking for more ways to change, build and improve.

Life is easier when we figure out how to work within our own boundaries and how to take small steps to improve. Whether you’re breaking free of unhealthy routines or building creative new habits, even thinking about it can spark an interest in being better.

And, whether you’re thinking inside the box, viewing that box from afar or taking a sledgehammer to it, just considering the box at all is a great first step.