I have this crazy thing about making routines. Apparently something in the back of my head thinks that there’s no point in making a routine unless it is perfect. Unless I have all the things in that I want to incorporate, take into consideration ALL possible issues, schedules, etc, that I can’t put any sort of routine into effect.
I have now declared phooey on that.
For years I’ve longed for a morning and evening routine. I read how someone or other does this or that in their morning routine, and think “I really need to do that. What a lovely start to the day.”
I read articles about insomnia (huge, on-going issue for me) and one of the constant recommendations is to have an evening routine, some way to cue your body and mind that once again we’re going to try that sleep thing.
I get stuck in the same loop: “Things are always so different from day to day!” “What if I don’t get down all the things I’d like to do?” Or, once I list every last thing I think should be part of the routine, different worries emerge “There’s no way I have the time to do all of that in the morning!” “So, I’m supposed to start getting ready for bed how many hours before it’s actually bedtime?”
Therefore, nothing happens.
Which is sad, and frustrating, and brings me right back to longing for routines, and thinking I’ll never get them.
This month I’m going to try a new experiment. Zeno’s Routines. I’m declaring from the outset that they will not be perfect. That I will miss some items I’d like to incorporate. That I will not have the time to do all the things I think I should.
I will do imperfect, flawed morning and evening routines. And that’s ok.
I may not have a special tea cup and saucer for my morning writing, I may not work in an hour of yoga or meditation, but I’ll be doing something. Every morning, every evening, doing imperfect routines.
And once a week I’ll see what changes I can make to make them a little bit better, a little easier, bring in a little more ease and comfort.
But just like Zeno’s Paradox, where the runner can never overtake the tortoise, I’ll still be making progress, and I’ll still be moving in the right direction at least.
What would you do if you let yourself do it all wrong, and decided the doing itself was enough?
“I will do imperfect, flawed morning and evening routines. And that’s ok.”
How perfectly imperfect. This hit home for me. I never even knew why I didn’t have a routine or would have a routine for maybe 2 weeks then it would be gone agin.
My new routine? “I will do things that feel good to me when they fit my schedule. And that’s ok.”
An imperfect routine is much better than the “perfect” one I don’t have now!
Really a message that I needed to read today. I always feel that if I can’t do whatever routine perfect well…. then it is just wrong. What a new idea to think on. Thank you.
Hugs and Sparkles
WG
I never can quit get a routine going so I’m ok with phooey on that. Life is unpredictable!
Loran recently posted..Treasures Large and Small
This is something I’ve vaguely thought about myself – wouldn’t it be nice to write my morning pages, then do some yoga, have a healthy breakfast, go for a walk, play some piano – all before I start work. Well it might be nice but it never happens quite like that, and I won’t even talk about the evening non-routines where I turn the light out well after midnight. Nice to know I’m not the only imperfect one
Leanne recently posted..Are You Listening?
So glad its not just me! I love the idea of us all being gentler with ourselves.
I love this, Corie. I do imperfect morning and evening routines all the time, and only recently have I managed to stop trying to implement something else that isn’t even what I want.
Conscious, loving, imperfect routines are much more my speed.