I was just chatting with a friend about how 1 (or even up to 3!) great habits can be so so nourishing. But "doing all the things" and trying to fit in walking, meal prep, meditation, journaling, yoga, cold plunge, red light, etc. etc. etc. feels just as chaotic/terrible as doing nothing at all. Small progress for the win!
Right?!?! I have a list of 8 things I *wish* I would do every day (I track them with the Way of Life app) but the days that I get every single one checked off are few and far between. I'm shooting for a balance of MOST of them every day.
I've shortened my daily walk to one giant lap around the neighborhood (20 minutes). I know I'll do it. If I have loftier goals (3 miles, etc.) not gonna happen. But I can do a daily 20!
For me it used to be exercise, first thing at 5am. My work life is currently a bit more chill than usual so I start later (6-6:30) and now what I do first thing is write morning pages, and if I still have time before the kids wake up, sitting outside to drink coffee in my garden.
I totally agree. I wake up at 5am each morning, and spend the first hour in prayer, meditating on Scripture, and reading devotions. I’ve been doing this practice since April 2020, and it’s totally changed how I look at my day, and how I interact with others.
Dear lord-- is that a picture of your actual bathroom drawer? I gasped. I wish I could attach a picture of the current state of mine, for stark contrast LOL. I'm slowly working through my enormous stash of skincare products (it feels great to empty a bottle!) and then my goal is to have a very very pared down routine like yours.
The one thing I've been prioritizing in the mornings for the past 6 weeks is exercise, and it feels so great. I just absolutely will not exercise when I get home from work. Now, I'm consistently working out for the first time ever. The numbers on my scale haven't changed, but I feel more calm, confident, and better in my skin than I did two months ago = WIN.
This made me laugh. It is my actual bathroom which I share with my family of four. We only have two drawers, so it forces us to all be VERY minimal. It did take me some time to work my way through my "product fails" but it feels so good to just have what we need and use now. x
I wish to breathe life back into my writing and cello practices. Complications related to health have sidelined both, not because I don't have time, but because I can't wrap my brain around them. Perhaps trying to center myself upon waking each morning will help me get to writing and music. Maybe sit with a poem for 10 minutes before brewing coffee, before turning on computer, before letting the day in. Thank you for this.
Two incredible things happened just one day after posting this note. I received the best news a patient with terminal heart disease can receive - the gift of longer lifespan than originally expected - and an intense discussion with my editor about how to approach the last bit of my manuscript so that it's not overwhelming, stylized in a way that's digestible for me, the writer, and also the reader. The subject matter is heavy and the reading can be dense, an absolutely horrible combination. Now there's light. My writing practice has new life. Hurray.
What a great reminder that doing something consistently makes it become a habit ! A couple years ago, I started a morning routine for myself; some days it’s longer ; some days it’s shorter, but it always carries the same basic elements: tea, meditation, yoga/stretch, gratitude journal. It’s helped me SO much find a sense of grounding and perspective before heading into a busy and chaotic day !
I've been walking outside (weather permitting) in the morning before breakfast - gets the day started on the right foot (!) and gets the exercise done before the day gets away from me. (And btw, it's definitely not at 5 am - more like 8:30 or 9!)
Thank you for sharing your wake up time. As a wedding photographer I often go to bed very late, which makes it impossible to get out of bed at 5 am. I am happy to read that another successful creator is not getting up at 4.30 or 5 am and still getting lots done. I have two morning routines - first is walking my dogs in the nearby hill, and then my workout that I do at home with a Freeletics app (I would not be able to go to the gym and workout there). These are my two non negotiables, and then coffee of course :)
I've been dedicating to a skincare routine in the morning and at night and it has made all the difference in my mood (I feel put together even without makeup or freshly shampooed hair) AND in my skin. I'm hoping to add one or two more things as my son gets older and I'm able to get myself up at a set time (fewer night wake ups FTW). Next up: a bit of journaling!
I have at least 5 things I want to do every day, so if I get some combination of them I feel pretty good: morning pages, yoga, meditate, play my guitar, wear my LED mask... but I just had guests in town for a long weekend and EVERYTHING went to shit! So I am starting anew this week and letting myself be okay for falling off the wagon!
I was just chatting with a friend about how 1 (or even up to 3!) great habits can be so so nourishing. But "doing all the things" and trying to fit in walking, meal prep, meditation, journaling, yoga, cold plunge, red light, etc. etc. etc. feels just as chaotic/terrible as doing nothing at all. Small progress for the win!
Absolutely! Doing one thing consistently feels so much better than failing at doing All of the Things!
Right?!?! I have a list of 8 things I *wish* I would do every day (I track them with the Way of Life app) but the days that I get every single one checked off are few and far between. I'm shooting for a balance of MOST of them every day.
*Runs to check out Way of Life app...🏃🏻♀️
Totally relate to this!!
So much so I wrote about my somewhat renewed approach to it all here 😊
https://laurenkatepowell.substack.com/p/methods-for-making-the-time
I've shortened my daily walk to one giant lap around the neighborhood (20 minutes). I know I'll do it. If I have loftier goals (3 miles, etc.) not gonna happen. But I can do a daily 20!
That is exactly how I started walking every day - just promised myself 15-minutes which felt reasonable for my brain! x
Smaller goals seem to stick better!
For me it used to be exercise, first thing at 5am. My work life is currently a bit more chill than usual so I start later (6-6:30) and now what I do first thing is write morning pages, and if I still have time before the kids wake up, sitting outside to drink coffee in my garden.
That sounds glorious! A morning moment of zen. x
P.S. I moved exercise to later in the morning after the kids are at school and I am really enjoying that shift.
That’s great to hear! Enjoy your morning workouts!
That sounds like a peaceful way to start your day!
Morning pages and 3-min meditation!
Love it!
I totally agree. I wake up at 5am each morning, and spend the first hour in prayer, meditating on Scripture, and reading devotions. I’ve been doing this practice since April 2020, and it’s totally changed how I look at my day, and how I interact with others.
Love it! x
Dear lord-- is that a picture of your actual bathroom drawer? I gasped. I wish I could attach a picture of the current state of mine, for stark contrast LOL. I'm slowly working through my enormous stash of skincare products (it feels great to empty a bottle!) and then my goal is to have a very very pared down routine like yours.
The one thing I've been prioritizing in the mornings for the past 6 weeks is exercise, and it feels so great. I just absolutely will not exercise when I get home from work. Now, I'm consistently working out for the first time ever. The numbers on my scale haven't changed, but I feel more calm, confident, and better in my skin than I did two months ago = WIN.
This made me laugh. It is my actual bathroom which I share with my family of four. We only have two drawers, so it forces us to all be VERY minimal. It did take me some time to work my way through my "product fails" but it feels so good to just have what we need and use now. x
I wish to breathe life back into my writing and cello practices. Complications related to health have sidelined both, not because I don't have time, but because I can't wrap my brain around them. Perhaps trying to center myself upon waking each morning will help me get to writing and music. Maybe sit with a poem for 10 minutes before brewing coffee, before turning on computer, before letting the day in. Thank you for this.
Two incredible things happened just one day after posting this note. I received the best news a patient with terminal heart disease can receive - the gift of longer lifespan than originally expected - and an intense discussion with my editor about how to approach the last bit of my manuscript so that it's not overwhelming, stylized in a way that's digestible for me, the writer, and also the reader. The subject matter is heavy and the reading can be dense, an absolutely horrible combination. Now there's light. My writing practice has new life. Hurray.
Thanks, Shira, for putting this on my mind.
Incredible. Thrilled for you. xoxo
What a great reminder that doing something consistently makes it become a habit ! A couple years ago, I started a morning routine for myself; some days it’s longer ; some days it’s shorter, but it always carries the same basic elements: tea, meditation, yoga/stretch, gratitude journal. It’s helped me SO much find a sense of grounding and perspective before heading into a busy and chaotic day !
YES!! I hope to expand on my morning routine eventually, but for now just walking and writing feels like a major win x
Absolutely ! What works for each of us is what is sustainable for us 🫶🏻 it’s different for everyone 💗
Great idea!
Yay! x
I've been walking outside (weather permitting) in the morning before breakfast - gets the day started on the right foot (!) and gets the exercise done before the day gets away from me. (And btw, it's definitely not at 5 am - more like 8:30 or 9!)
Choosing one habit is not easy at all :-)
Thank you for sharing your wake up time. As a wedding photographer I often go to bed very late, which makes it impossible to get out of bed at 5 am. I am happy to read that another successful creator is not getting up at 4.30 or 5 am and still getting lots done. I have two morning routines - first is walking my dogs in the nearby hill, and then my workout that I do at home with a Freeletics app (I would not be able to go to the gym and workout there). These are my two non negotiables, and then coffee of course :)
I've been dedicating to a skincare routine in the morning and at night and it has made all the difference in my mood (I feel put together even without makeup or freshly shampooed hair) AND in my skin. I'm hoping to add one or two more things as my son gets older and I'm able to get myself up at a set time (fewer night wake ups FTW). Next up: a bit of journaling!
I have at least 5 things I want to do every day, so if I get some combination of them I feel pretty good: morning pages, yoga, meditate, play my guitar, wear my LED mask... but I just had guests in town for a long weekend and EVERYTHING went to shit! So I am starting anew this week and letting myself be okay for falling off the wagon!