I am slowly getting back into my routines. I have realized that I enjoy my routines, and have come to accept that this is the kind of person I am. It used to depress me to think that my life has come down to a bunch of routines, but I work better this way. If I break it down I ensure that I have time for myself, my work, and my family. And that’s not a bad thing.
Is a daily routine boring? Maybe, but it’s what you do to punctuate that routine, is what makes a life an exciting or boring one, don’t you think?
September is a good time to revisit old routines to see what works and what doesn’t. Last September I added a trip to the gym to my daily routine. My routine has to change a bit this year because our morning kids/school/Mark/work routine changed. I have also promised myself to try (only to try) to get up 30 minutes earlier. This means I have to be a bit better at going to bed on time. The kids have a bedtime, I should have a bedtime.
Years ago, I used to work with someone (now a good friend of mine) who told me how she got up earlier than her family every day. She’d make herself a capuccino and read the paper, alone, quietly, without interruption. I remember thinking she was koo-koo crazy. Who wouldn’t want an extra 45 minutes of sleep? I love sleep. I crave sleep. I love it. A lot. But I also like having some time to wake up without hearing things like MUMMY WHAT SHOULD I WEAR or DO WE HAVE JUICE or WHERE IS THE HAIR BRUSH or CAN YOU SIGN MY PIZZA DAY FORM.
So my choice is this: (a) wake up a little earlier to have a quiet cup of coffee and help my brain adjust to a new day or (b) get up feeling rushed and frazzled.
I pick (a).
I did it this morning, for the second time in a row, and felt GREAT. I got up when the alarm went off. I stretched. I made myself a latte. And instead of reading the paper (we don’t get a paper, and I didn’t want to spend more time in front of the computer) I did morning pages, three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing… a true brain dump that is much less eloquent and much more scattered than anything I’d ever post here. (God, I hope no one ever reads it. It is crap in its purest form. MARK: if I SUDDENLY DIE, PLEASE BURN WITHOUT READING. It’s the spiral-bound book with the glittery kitty cats on it. )
I had my three pages, went upstairs to wake Sarah, and then came back down to pack lunches.
Other routine things:
– gym time is going to be later in the day
– my healthy lunch isn’t going to be eaten over the sink
– I’m going to start using my litebook in October
That’s it.
p.s. Later today I’m going to post a pic of something I’m working on. So don’t forget to check back.
