The other day I woke up a little late, rushed around the house, skipped half my morning routine, managed to leave on time, and then realized when I was approaching my office that I’d forgotten some important things necessary for making my day wonderful: sandals for my lunchtime walk and cream for my tea. While I can live without these things, some things are simply not worth living without! And the truth is, I often forget something or discover I don’t have anything to pack for lunch one minute after I it’s time to leave the house. I seriously dislike being late and I do my very best to pack breakfast and lunch so I’m more rapidly achieving my financial and fitness goals. Yet my lifestyle doesn’t always support the things that matter most.
I’m a deep over-thinker, so once I acknowledged my feelings of disappointment and stress, I started thinking about other areas of my life where I wasn’t living up to my expectations or true potential. For example, I have a list of daily goals (fitness, writing, motivation, and art) that I created to bless my life, keep me focused, and purposely move my life toward my dreams. I would never set a goal to watch tv before bed every day, go to bed late every night, or wake-up tired every morning, yet I settled into these habits without even noticing. It is really easy to live on autopilot and save things for tomorrow that would be best completed today, so I’m happy that my morning fell apart just enough to catch my attention. I can clearly do a better job at preparing myself for the next day, especially since getting up early to exercise, listen to music, and enjoy a cup of tea while reading or listening to something inspirational is my favorite way of starting the day.
I quickly transformed my frustration into a solution, and decided that I need an evening routine because it’s important to me that I end each day with reflection and intention. I want to set myself up for a wonderful start to every new day. So here’s my commitment to myself:
- Meal-prep and pack my lunch before bed
- Set out tomorrow’s clothing for myself and the kids
- 5-10 minutes of stretching to meditation music each evening
- Write five things I’m grateful for and one goal for the next day
- Go to bed before midnight
Prior to living with daily habits I’m not sure I would have noticed this need in my life. I would have brushed it off as another morning that didn’t work out well, and hoped the next day would be better. I’ve discovered that doing something on purpose everyday, like setting and achieving even the smallest goals, creates momentum for bigger goals and an open door for greater self-awareness.
I invite you to paying attention and be willing to change, adapt, and be honest with yourself, and you’ll be blessed!
