Being on vacation for a few days is what brings me to today's TILT which is HAVING A ROUTINE. There is a special DISCLAIMER at the end of this post.
Not this kind of routine:
But those guys are awesome, right? and I am never far away from a full on dance routine of epic awkwardness at any moment.
This is about the everyday, mundane, pretty predictable routine.
I need days where I get up even when every fiber of my being doesn't want to. Then I get my ass in the bathroom and slap on my face - and I do mean slap as my make up routine takes four minutes. Do something with my hair, sometimes that means brushing and sometimes not. And get my ass out the door, on the train (WITH Dumpster Husband most mornings, which pretty much rules), and into work.
 |
| most important part of my make up routine are my red red lips. |
Now, this may seem like this TILT is about loving my job. Which I do, but that's another TILT. This one is about the ROUTINE.
The check list that gives my brain and body something to focus on. When I don't have this routine my mind, soul and body suffer. I don't do my meditations in my head first thing in the morning. I don't do my hair and makeup. I don't eat well. I don't get to a meeting. This list goes on.
What seems so mundane, the everyday ROUTINE is what I love today. It's something I never thought I would love and be thankful for, but there it is. I am officially a square. I love my routine every day and get kind of freaked out when something is different. That shouldn't be shocking to anyone.
I really used to think that routine and 8 to 5 jobs meant boring. But within the construct of that routine, so many things differ from day to day that I have absolutely no control over. I have no control over anyone I encounter each day. And there are many. And THAT is the human connection that breaks the ROUTINE wide open and wreaks havoc on my serenity. Sometimes in a bad way and sometimes in a very good way.
I follow the outline of my ROUTINE and for that I am rewarded with the everyday unknown that we all have. It's what you do with it that counts. Some days I handle it very poorly. But I must say most days I go with it. Life is too good to be crabby all the time.
I LOVE MY ROUTINE.
DISCLAIMER - I know full well this will all fly right out the window on the glorious day that we get a baby. And I will happily adjust.
Having a baby actually made routine more important for me! Before Li'l D, I shied away from routine, on good days. (On bad days, I outright shooed it away.) Now I welcome the small things I can expect to go the same way day after day after day. I'm actually trying to cultivate the appreciation for random frivolity I had before I started working in contracts, but I'm pretty solidly in the "enjoys stability" zone now. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how "back in the day" I would avoid anything and everything routine/boring (the 2 went hand in hand for me). Once I got used to sobriety, those things that were once "boring" are now the things I love. Life - drama = boringly happy!
ReplyDeleteDeb is right. Once you have a baby, routine is even more important. I mostly skip out on it now, except for where the kids are concerned, but the rest of my day is pretty void of routine.
ReplyDeleteI suppose if I had one, I might be more productive, huh?
Have I meantioned how in awe of mothers I am? Seriously.
ReplyDeleteSo true that if one little thing is thrown off, the rest of the routine suffers. Pow. There goes the day.
ReplyDeleteWhen you have a kid, you will just establish different routines, and then you will thrive in your new pattern. (And your new routine will be all about poop.)
Seriously, without routine, I'd probably forget to wear pants to work. It's not a complicated routine, but it helps to not have to think about every little thing. I sometimes forget my work keys or my belt or deodorant. Nothing life or death, but it's annoying.
ReplyDeleteBut I hear what you're saying. It's about serenity, like you said. I actually said the serenity prayer tonight because I was (am) having a rough evening at home. It didn't miraculously solve my problems or anything, but it is amazing how much clarity you can gain simply by asking for the wisdom to discern between the things we have control over and the things we don't.
It's amazing how much those 3 little lines help isn't it? And I don't even believe in god.
ReplyDelete