Readers of this blog know I preach the value of networking after the networking. “Angela,” people constantly say to me, “you’re everywhere all the time.” What you may not know is the even more follow-up meetings I take with people I don’t know, and catch-up meetings with people that I do.

I had been seeing Melissa Love around at various events, but we had never met. Finally, we were in the same spot of the room at the same time and exchanged business cards. Let’s have coffee and a chat was agreeable to both, and we did it.

Halfway between us is Octane, a coffee shop where lots of techie types seem to hang out. I felt smarter simply sitting inside and hearing the roar of creativity rumble around me. As per my usual, I got there early and got work done on my projects. Thirty minutes before my meeting was to begin, I heard a voice say, “You’re already here!”

It was Melissa. Seems she likes to get to her appointments early, too. While she waited in line to get her coffee, I got some more done, and the computer closed just as she arrived at the table with some sort of creamy concoction that I did not know the place sold. Must get one next time. For the next ninety minutes, we had the best conversation. It was a pleasure chatting with someone who understood the challenges in the music business, was business minded like myself, was witty and funny, and had a firm grasp on a method to work the business.

Melissa Love is a music supervisor. (You will recall the earlier four-part series on music supervisors on this blog. If you haven’t read it, you should.) But that’s not what this column is about. No this column is about something Melissa said. I said, “Hey, I’m gonna write a blog about that” and sent myself an email reminder as she said, “I want to be on the split sheet and get fifty-percent if it monetizes.” We both enjoyed a good laugh on that.

Anyway, Melissa said, “Routine is highly underrated.” (Melissa, I don’t think titles can be copyrighted and concepts are like chord progressions. Oh, man; bummer. But, hey, if this sucker takes off, then I’ll make sure you are credited in the liner notes!)

Still, her words were true. How many times have we heard someone derisively dismiss an idea with the words, “Oh, that’s so…so…routine.” As if routine is always something bad.

Routine is predictable.

Routine is repetitive.

It is regular, normal, standard, practiced, habitual, and scheduled.

God is routine. There is not one night you go to bed and wonder if the sun will rise the next morning. That’s God for you. Yeah. He keeps the earth in its orbit, the sun in its place so that you, mere mortal that you are, can have light the next day. Oh, hey, the routine also brings the calming darkness to follow, too.

Routine keeps our lives in sequence; sequencing brings efficiencies; efficiencies save time; and what do we know about time?  

Time is money. You got any of that to throw away?

Routine. Get one. Practice it.