When I worked in the corporate world my day went something like this.
My alarm jarred me awake at 4:45 AM.
I hit the snooze twice.
I stumbled to the shower.
Drove 40 minutes to work.
Worked from 6 AM to 5 PM.
Raced home to pick up the kids by 6 PM before the one-dollar-per-minute (times two) daycare penalty goes into effect.
I was in a routine.
At times it was a rut.
Today my routine is very different thanks to Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning, and Perry Marshall’s Renaissance time.
I haven’t set an alarm in years unless I’m catching an early flight.
I meditate, journal, read or just sip a cup of coffee in silence, thinking random thoughts.
I jump on the Peloton for my morning ride, or I take our black lab Lilah for a walk.
I write my almost-daily email.
Client work from 9 AM until 2 or 3 PM, sometimes 4.
Routines get us through the day.
In the book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown talks about the power of routines.
When you have a routine, you run on autopilot like when you drive to work.
You follow the same path every day without thinking about it.
Do you ever wonder how you ended up in the fast lane when a minute ago you were in the slow lane?
You don’t remember switching lanes, but you did.
When you run on autopilot, it actually frees up space in your mind for other thoughts.
McKeown goes pretty deep in the power of routines including the routine Michael Phelps used for years to win a boatload of Olympic gold medals.
He talks about how they are good for us and how they can inhibit us when a routine turns into a rut.
This week I was out of my routine.
I went skiing and I switched to my ski trip routine.
I intended to write my daily emails, but it didn’t happen.
I needed a break from my normal routine.
At first, I felt guilty like I was letting you down until…
I did my first run down the mountain.
My guilt disappeared.
Nothing personal 🙂
There’s nothing like taking a break from your normal routine to regroup and recharge your batteries.
Do you have a morning routine that helps you start the day on your terms?
Is it time for a break from your routine so it doesn’t turn into a rut?
I’d love to hear your favorite routine.
