Creature of Habit

Most of the time, I loathe routine; I require variety in most aspects of my life. I become bored too easily and when I become bored, I quickly lose interest. However, I have noticed that even though I prefer a more spontaneous lifestyle, I am a creature of habit. I have routines that I follow every morning and throughout the day. From the way I get ready in the morning to how I clean my home, I have set methods that I've subconsciously established - my actions are automatic, and if I try to stray from routine, I find that I'm not pleased with the end results. Yet, when I look at others, like my mother, whose life is very staid and predictable, I mentally shake my head and think, "What a boring life; I don't want to live that way! They aren't living their lives to their fullest." Realizing this contradiction, there are some questions that must be asked: How spontaneous am I really? Is my disdain for routine actually a symptom of some other desire that is not being fulfilled? What is it that I really need to feel content inside? I suspect many people feel this way - feeling the need for more excitement than they are receiving from their daily activities, yet finding themselves doing the same actions repeatedly without really thinking about what they're doing.

How well do we really know ourselves?