How can I actually stick to a routine when life keeps interrupting it?

You're asking the right question because you've already sensed the problem: rigidity breaks. A routine isn't a prison sentence—it's a container. The Taoist approach here is subtle. You build a structure not to enforce compliance, but to create conditions where good things can happen. Think of it like a riverbed: the banks don't constrain the water's flow; they enable it. When life interrupts—and it will—the routine doesn't fail. It flexes. A 10-minute practice done when you can matters more than a 60-minute one you resent. I've learned this through watching people who actually sustain change. They don't white-knuckle through disruptions. They redesign their routines to be small enough to survive real life. Your digital calendar, your habits app—they're tools, not masters. The examined life asks: what do I actually value doing, and what's the smallest version of that I can protect? Start there. Stack one tiny habit with something you already do. Make it so small it feels almost pointless at first. That's precisely when it works.