Routines and Schedules

Are you an orderly person or a chaotic one? Do you plan things months in advance, keep lists, track birthdays and alphabetize your movies? Or are you the person in some all night gas station on Christmas Eve frantically searching for SOMETHING to give all your friends?
I used to consider myself a good balance between the two. I liked the impulsive lifestyle of running out at midnight to go for a two hour road trip just to watch the sun rise in a certain place. (It looks different from every angle, you know!) However, I also keep most things organized, have a spot for everything so I don't go on long searches for shoes, nail clippers, or clothing. Now that I'm old-er (not old), I find that chaos has NO place in my life anymore. I've sort of become the stuffy grown up. As hard as I try not to, I feel completely lost when things happen out of order.
I have three children, one of them being almost one (WOW), so my home is not by any means the pristine shrine of organization. And this summer, more than ever, our home and family dynamic has been CHAOS. This summer, I learned a lot about us as a family and the things we had taken for granted. One of those things being predictability. A routine, a schedule of some sort...we crave it! We need it to function happily and positively.
So, when the first day of school arrived, this past Monday, I couldn't wait to get back on a routine. I expected some resistance from my children-after all, when mom is too busy to remind you of chores and bedtimes during the summer, it's a party! But, you wouldn't believe it. Every day of the week, my two beautiful girls woke up, dressed themselves and in general were ready for school right on time without any fights. This is a HUGE improvement from what we had all summer long. I immediately noticed the shift in the Universe...the collective sigh of relief we all felt. Aaaaahhhh a schedule, a routine, a necessary change in life's battles.
Not only have the kids had a change for the better, but my writing has too. I have had more time to breathe and write. I have had time to really think about the things I want in life and really re-focus my attention to things I've ignored for too long because I was too busy.
What about you, my fellow writers and friends? Do you feel that schedules and routines help or hinder you? Some authors feel stifled, I've heard. I wonder what you feel keeps your writing in line, and your goals and dreams. Let me know!