My brother called my morning routine 'a hostage situation' and I can't stop thinking about it.

We were on the phone yesterday and I was telling him about my new grinder, a Baratza Encore, and how I have to weigh the beans, time the bloom, and get the water to exactly 205 degrees before I can even start my day. He just laughed and said, 'Sounds like you're being held hostage by your own coffee pot.' It hit different because he's right. I spent $150 on gear and 20 minutes every morning on a ritual that started as a fun hobby. Now I get genuinely stressed if I'm running late and have to skip a step. It stopped being about enjoying coffee and became about perfectly executing a process. When did the fun part get lost? Has anyone else felt like their hobby became a chore?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessica_hall4914d ago

Wait, but isn't that the whole point of a good ritual?

xena114d ago

Totally, @jessica_hall49. I read that the best rituals feel meaningful without needing a big reason.

paige863d ago

Honestly, I get where you're coming from, but that control IS the fun part for some of us. For me, that exact routine is what makes the coffee good. It's like a tiny bit of order I get to build before my day starts. If I had to just push a button, it wouldn't feel like MY coffee anymore. The stress means you care about the result, and that's not a bad thing. Maybe your brother just doesn't get the satisfaction of a thing done right.