Our house, according to numerology, ‘thrives on monotony.’

I avoid routines like the plague, so it is a cold splash of water to realize that the house we bought demands a monotonous routine. I can avoid monotony, or embrace it. Hiring a gardener, a maid, and a pool boy reduces some of the monotony, but it is too expensive. Our sprinkler system needs repair, so even the lawn and garden require regular patterns of water. We decided to let the lawn die. We are in a drought, after all.

Because a huge chunk of formerly disposable income is going towards a mortgage, we also have to cook at home and bring our lunches to work instead of dining out. The dog doesn’t have a front yard any more, so she requires daily walks, and we can’t skip them.

Routine has always felt like a prison cell to me, but the flip side of that perception is the notion that routine can build discipline.

This home has a lot to teach me. My response to monotony is a strong desire to earn more money, so I can outsource monotony. My partner calls this ‘lazy.’ I just want more time to do unusual things, like a hike in the wilderness or writing the sequel to my novel. Monotonous routines seem to get in the way. I may need to change my perception, or I may just need to earn a lot more than I do.

What are your thoughts? Please comment.