I’ve been pondering routines lately: why you need them and when to break free.

In a recent Workshifting post, I explored the paradox of the flexible routine:

Working from home (or anywhere else you choose) isn’t about avoiding routine–it’s about being able to set your own routine.

That said, we do spend a lot of time creating systems to keep ourselves focused and on track. They’re safety nets, barriers against the chaos of an unstructured life. But innovation doesn’t happen in 25- or 30-minute chunks. Sometimes we need to stop doing stuff and just concept, create, go with the flow, and see what happens.

Hence, in my latest post I ask: Can you work without a net?

Photo by Joost J. Bakker IJmuiden (Flickr).