I've blogged before about discipline, about my morning routine, and about my blocked schedule. Anyone reading my blog should understand the value I place on creating a framework for your life, and work, and following it. I think living intentionally is the only way we can thrive. However, it is one thing to set all this structure in motion, and quite another to follow through on it, day after day. Sometimes, you are just tired and it becomes much more difficult. Or you are stressed. Or you feel overwhelmed.
Today is the perfect example. I got a text message last night that upset me, and I let the author of that message live, rent-free, in my head for about five hours. (I realize this was dumb, and I realized it as it was happening, but sometimes we just can't help ourselves.) I wasn't able to fall asleep until nearly midnight, which meant when my alarm went off this morning at 5:30, my response was less than enthusiastic. My mom is also in town, which means my yoga room is currently occupied, and it seems really rude to barge in there at 5:40 in the morning to stretch and meditate.
So I didn't. I stayed in bed. I didn't do my yoga. (I did listen to my meditation.) I still got in the shower and got ready for my day and sat down at my desk, but having allowed myself to skip one part of my routine made it easier to contemplate skipping other parts. I'd given myself permission to deviate from my schedule, but not in a structured enough way. If I'd intentionally said last night, "Lacy, it is late and you are going to be exhausted tomorrow if you try to get up on time and do yoga, so just move your alarm, get up, hit the mat for 10 minutes of meditation and then get on with your schedule," I would have been in good shape. I would have intentionally reframed my morning and not had any feelings of guilt or slacking. Instead, I just drifted this morning, making excuses bargaining with myself.
When I got to my desk, then, the door was open for me to say to myself....well...I know I'm supposed to write this morning, but I have a busy day of meetings and it would probably be better for me to check my email and social media instead.....
No.
I stopped myself right there. No. One change and that's fine. But sliding through my whole day, re-arranging my intentions on the fly is not okay. That's how whole days get lost. So, I buckled up, opened my blog software and got to work. If something needs to change later, I can do that, intentionally, but for now, I'm going to stay disciplined and focus on what I know needs to be done.
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