Routine and sanity

       I am a very routine person. To give you a good example about how routine I am, I have eaten the same thing for breakfast for three consecutive years, every single day, and I have no intention of changing that. I know to some people that may sound bizarre and no I am not sick of my breakfast, in fact it is my favorite meal and sometimes I eat it in the afternoon as well. TMI alert: I also poop at the exact same time every morning, halfway through eating my oatmeal.
      I am a person who likes order and checklists for almost everything imaginable, whether it be my duties for the week, chores for the day, or packing for a competition or trip. On Sundays, I spend my entire morning prepping all of my meals for the week and placing a sticky label with my macro breakdowns on every single tupperware container. I start cooking at 9:30am and am done by 11am, for the entire week! Imagine not having to cook AT ALL for the rest of the week! And my food doesn't even suck, I eat steak, chicken, meatballs, stirfrys, you name it, throughout the week and in the evening I have usually saved room for a creamsicle or two.
       I ALWAYS have a one year plan, 5 year plan, and 10 year plan. My list of goals for the year is on my fridge and each time I accomplish one I check it off of my list. Do you know how good it feels when that pen check something off your list? AH!
       I understand that many people who act this way are in fact very stressed out people, who suffer from anxiety or OCD. That being said, I feel like there are a group of us who are an exception to this rule. If something in my plans were to change, I would not panic, I would simply edit my list.
     I have tried the "go with the flow" mentality, and honestly was more stressed and overwhelmed than I have ever been. I think it is great that people can live that way, but I can not. I like my routine, my schedule, and my order. I make these lists because they make my life so much easier and more enjoyable. I become more productive, therefore I have a lot more time for play than the average person and I am so much more relaxed knowing I am going exactly where I want to go, in my life. I am not an "we will see what happens" person, I am an "Ill make it happen" person.