As a “fly be the seat of my pants” kind of girl who has literally spent years eschewing the “humdrum” routine. I am finding now that creating a consistent routine built around good habits is giving me direction to find the next “big thing” for me. I am less stressed and I accomplish loads of things when my routine is humming along.
Currently, I am struggling to get back into my pre-Colorado trip routine. (I also came down with some type of crud too that demanded I ditch my routine for a bit). I struggle almost daily with the thoughts that our home needs to clean and filled with home cooked, healthy, zero-waste meals, the pets need to be walked AND I need to be out earning money AND making a difference in my life, my family’s life and the world. I suppose it’s no wonder that I often feel over-whelmed. But, the comfort of the routine helps quite these ridiculous thoughts and expectations.
Don’t get me wrong. I am truly grateful that in my life I have the choices that leave me feeling over-whelmed versus having to struggle day-to-day to just put food on our table or to survive the day safely.
To get my better habits jump started again. I have been reading up on the many benefits of routine and all the successful people who follow a regular routine chock full of good habits. I really see no downside to a routine. Having a routine allows me to feel accomplished at the end of the day, gives value to my day and allows me to schedule down-time or “me” time. It also helps re-direct me if I get bogged down by things not going my way, being too difficult or the old bugger, “I just don’t feel like doing that”.
Below is a bit of what I am doing, once again, to help keep me focused in my daily journeys. I understand many people, of the super, organized (or just plain organized) variety either do not need the minutia of their day listed out or those bits are so ingrained that they run on auto. For me and my struggle to stay focused and not get over whelmed I must take it to the most basic level:
- Before I get out of bed I set my intentions for the day and run down my schedule and allow for flexibility if needed
- Assign my to-do’s to a day of the week and calendar them
- Calendar all of my workouts for the week
- Calendar all appointments and events for the whole family for the month
I’ve found great satisfaction crossing off tasks on my list that I have completed. My lists and calendars help keep me focused and quiets some of the “noise” of the zillions of distractions that constantly bombard me.
Here are some of the articles I’ve been reading to keep me motivated and striving for that balanced routine.
https://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2017/04/28/the-power-of-consistent-routine/
https://examinedexistence.com/why-having-a-daily-routine-is-important/
http://www.nmbreakthroughs.org/daily-health/health-benefits-of-having-a-routine
This Fantastic Life 