Build a New Routine
What are the essentials of your morning routine?
Pretty much everyone has them.
Right now, the first hour of my day looks like this-
Dog wakes me up at 7:00 a.m. Greet dog. Walk to restroom. Brush teeth. Wash face. Put Dr. Jart on face. Change into yoga clothes. Walk downstairs. Put jacket on dog. Put shoes on dog. Put leash on dog. Get two poopie bags. Open front door. Go on walk.
What is so familiar to me is also so strange to me. What I find eerie is that I perform these activities in the same order I listed, each morning.
We call these habits. These habits make up your routines. You have them in your typical afternoons. Your evenings have a higher degree of predictability than you may realize.
Am I Seizing The Day?
Carpe Diem! We like to live this aphorism out. Live every day like it was your last! Ironically, most of our days can be figured out like mathematical equations. Think about it for a moment.
List what you do each morning or evening before bedtime. Are you surprised at the intricacy of your repeated routine?
I moved to California seven weeks ago. There have been clear stages in my transition to a new home. It’s taken weeks for me to build new routines. Let me describe the one I’ve noticed recently.
Can Someone Help Me Find A Spoon?
If you saw me in the kitchen seven weeks ago, you would find me standing in the middle of the floor. I would be staring at the kitchen drawers trying to remember where the cutlery was. You would think I could recall the location after I was guided to it several times already. I could not. I continued to pull open the utensils drawer for the fifth, sixth, and seventh time. I needed a lot more repetition in order to create a new routine.
Back in Utah, I could unconsciously step towards the cutlery drawer and open it in my sleep. I no longer needed motivation. It was a habit built after hundreds of repetitions over the years. I had it down.
When I picture routines like this one, it’s almost as if my body has taken over. It is like muscle memory allowing me to do something I need to do before consciously realizing it.
Once I moved out, however, the routine was non-existent. I no longer needed it. Moving to a new place created a need for new habits. I had to be able to find a spoon to stir my coffee in the mornings. It would also be wonderful to find a cup without first having to open three cabinets each morning!
New Routines For The Dog, Too!
Three trips out of town during the first few weeks of my move did not help my new routine building processes. About a month into the move, however, I noticed I had a handle on where most things were in the new kitchen. I could now find a spoon on the first try!
About a month in, I even noticed my dog settling into similar routines we built in Utah. Sure he had new routes for his morning walks, but he still had to wear his shoes. He had a new park to explore and we still washed his paws when they got dirty. There were new plants, flowers, and trees to sniff. I’m sure he missed his old neighborhood friends, but there were new dogs to befriend.
Even for pets, it takes a lot of time to feel comfortable in new environments. Be consistent with their essential routines. The repetition they need will be your repetition to carry out. They’ll be happier and healthier and thank you for it!
Routines For A Peace Of Mind
Science shows we are not only creatures but creatures of habit. Give yourself the time and space you need to start rebuilding again. One of the benefits is that your mind will be in a much better place. The power of routines shows that it will also increase your mental health and stability.
Once you can find your spoon, congratulations!
Now, you just may be ready to use your routines to change the world.
