schedule, time, writing

Step 188: Routines and Rituals

Christa Avampato

For most of my life, I have fought routine. I thought routine would make me boring. I thought routines were a waste of time and lacked creativity. That changed when I started writing every day about 3 years ago. I’ve liked writing stories since I was a little kid, but I never really made a routine out of it. I just wrote when the inspiration hit me.

Later in life, I realized that practice makes better. Even with natural talent, practice is a necessity for mastery. And I wanted to be a master writer, so I set myself on the path to writing every day no matter how tired or uninspired I felt. I went to the screen or the notebook, and recorded some thought. Like a physical muscle, my writing chops improved considerably. I look back at some of my early blog posts and laugh at how bad they were. I think this is healthy – laughter and the realization that practice does indeed help.

I noticed a marked change in my writing about two years ago. I could write more quickly and with greater clarity. My mind started making connections and developing deeper insights. My readership started growing too, because I was promoting my writing and also because my content improved considerably with daily practice. My writing routine crossed the line into ritual, becoming not a chore, but a pleasure I looked forward to. And writing made my life easier because it helped me make sense of even the most complicated, messy situations.

This morning on my way to work, I began to consider other routines that I could develop into rituals with more practice. I’ve started taking a nicer route to my office. I meditate every day. I do at least 10 minutes of yoga every day, even if that means just a few sun salutations or seated postures. I love to watch CBS Sunday morning with my coffee and the paper. I’m thinking of finally getting a dog in New York, and that care will develop a routine of its own.

Routine isn’t the boring, tired-out activity I once saw it as. It’s what gives our lives purpose and focus and very often, peace.

Do you have routines that have become rituals, or are you starting some new routines in your life? I’d love to hear about them!

I found the above cartoon here.

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Published by Christa Avampato

IN BRIEF Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership). I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place. THE DEEP DIVE My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them. DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions. ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild. LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy. DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history: Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions. Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design. Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history. CONNECT Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/ Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/

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