Does your routine support you, or is it a Groundhog Day drag?
Does your routine support you, or is it a Groundhog Day drag?I haven’t had much of a routine over the seven years since becoming self-employed, until recently. In January, I hesitantly took on a new opportunity that required (gasp!) getting up before dawn, showering, and commuting five days a week. The horror! (or so I thought).
The very first week, I recognized a huge shift in my happiness. When I say huge, I mean blissfully HUGE.
There were several factors at play…great colleagues, a fantastic chef, and I get to do really meaningful work that combines therapy, yoga and meditation. But the routine played a powerful role. The scary schedule forced me to prepare an intentional system to counter the anticipated misery, and now I want to routinify everything.
How I hacked my morning, before the very first day:
1. My nest turns on the heat an hour before I get up. I like to sleep cold, and had discovered (the hard way in the middle of the night) that the warmth can get me up and out of bed all on it’s own.
2. A light alarm brightens my room for 30 minutes prior to go time. It also often rouses me before the actual wake-up call as well.
3. A google home mini triggers my wake-up playlist (ensuring I don’t fall back asleep): “Good morning, Em! Today’s it’s going to be sunny!…”
4. I stumble out of my room and press one button for coffee, sometimes before I even open my eyes.
5. I always cue up a stimulating podcast or ebook for my commute. Something to look forward to!
Watch the video with Big Budah on Fox13’s The Place:
Five little automated adjustments. There are lots of little miseries that can be churched up with a little (or a lot) of intentional creativity.
I despised afternoon carpool, but when I purposefully get there early, park under a shady tree, and read a great book while I wait, it’s a treat. I’m more irritated now when this small sanctuary is over.
Dishes, laundry, yard work…how would it change your quality of life to sweeten up your otherwise bitter burdens?