It's not that the routines cause thoughtlessness but that, ideally, the routines free us to think about and do important, creative things by making the daily do

It's not that the routines cause thoughtlessness but that, ideally, the routines free us to think about and do important, creative things by making the daily doldrums automatic. Sure, sometimes it's good to dive back into reinventing the routines (or taking a road trip and questioning the purpose of the routine), but very few people can get work done that way. And getting work done is a valuable goal.