I’ve recently come to realize something: Nothing gets done without a routine.
I’m sure you may immediately be able to come up with certain scenarios and situations where this can be proved untrue, but think about it… For sustained effectiveness, routines are imperative.
The earth revolves around the sun at a regular interval to sustain life on earth, you need to eat regularly to stay alive and healthy, you need to bathe regularly to stay clean and free of disease, you need to practice regularly if you want to get better at your hobby, career, passion… Those are general things I know, but think about it! Suppose you purposely just ate one meal, or only a few each week and thought “that oughta do it”, no that’d be crazy! You want to eat several meals EVERY day to not only maintain your physical strength but also because food tastes good lol.
Over the years I’ve come to realize a few things about myself and one of which is that I am fiercely against routines. I don’t like eating the same thing all the time, I have to change my hair frequently, I don’t like wearing the same outfit twice (I have a very mix and matchable wardrobe for this reason lol)… so as a result, it is VERY hard to stick to schedules.
Recently I’ve been trying to explore this element of my personality a bit more and I’ve just come to the conclusion that I may never love routines. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make use of them to benefit me. So I’ve decided to begin my journey to try and make mindful routines apart of my life :)
Morning routines help people get their mind ready for the day, productivity routines signal to the brain that it’s time to work, evening routines help wind down from the day and prepare you for a restful night’s sleep. You absolutely can, and many do (like I’ve been), going through life without any of these “routines”, but for true effectiveness in all areas of life, routines are without a doubt the best way to go! And though you may not realize it, you do have a routine now. Do you wake up and immediately check your phone? Hit snooze a few more times… sit on the edge of your bed for a few minutes… start replying to emails, etc. Though the routine may not be the best, it is however a routine because we are pattern-seeking creatures :) So my goal is to turn my mindless habits into mindful routines.
I want to greet the day free of technology and not overwhelm myself with what’s going on in the lives of others first thing in the morning or last thing before I go to sleep. So that’s one change. This morning I sat down for the first time and wrote down a workable sleep schedule so I can start to build an effective morning and evening routine to help me keep it. Me and sleep have an interesting relationship lol… I love sleep, but I never seem to get enough of it because I don’t manage my time well, so I’m always up late! But I am going to make a concerted effort this week to stick to my sleep schedule *strong arm emoji* lol.
So this Truthy Tuesday ended up reading more like a journal entry than anything but I’m okay with that lol. I know I’m not the only one that struggles with routines so I’d love to hear from you as well! What have what have some of your struggles been in getting and maintaining a routine? What have you found helpful in establishing mindful routines either in the morning, for productivity, or… anything really!
I know this won’t be easy but I’m excited and my goal is to be in a healthier space both mentally and physically and I know this is heading in the right direction :)
‘Till next time!
-Danni
PS- Check out this book. It’s very helpful if you too are looking to establish a creative routine to help with productivity.