We are all creatures of habit. For better or for worse, it’s in our nature to develop routines and rhythms. Those routines like anything else can move us closer or further away from the people we want to be. Those rhythms can aid or hinder the progress we wish to make in our lives.
I’m starting out with a couple of assumptions: the first is that we were created for order and that order is organized around rhythms of life (day & night, seasons of the year, and so forth), and the second is that routines within those rhythms are necessary.
Most of our daily routines are carried out by us passively rather than actively. That’s the nature of routines. They become so normal and consistent that we don’t have to think about them because they are habitual.
Therefore, the real question is not if we have routines, but are our routines & rhythms in our life beneficial or destructive? The best way to determine this is to have a clear idea in your mind of who you want to be and what you want your life to stand for. The easiest way to do this is to ask what you want those closest in your life to say about you at your funeral. Morbid, perhaps. Illuminating, absolutely.
Once you have that determined, you need to evaluate your current routines & rhythms. The simplest way to do this is by starting with a morning & nighttime routine. Take a minute and write down how you spend the first hour and last hour of your day. You’ll find you’ve been incredibly consistent with them whether you realized it beforehand or not.
I have found having an established morning routine is crucial to the success of my day. I know that if I control how my day starts, the rest of the day usually falls in line with what I want to accomplish. If that first hour of my day is spent scrolling through instagram and news outlets, more times than not, the rest of my day becomes just as noisy and useless.
For some, that morning routine might look like rolling out of bed, drinking a glass of water, and heading to the gym for a 5 AM class. For others, it might look like a time of reading and prayer. The point here isn’t to get bogged down in specifics but to find what works best for you.
I believe for most, your morning routine needs to be some form of self-care or rejuvenation. If you’re like me, that’s a cup of coffee and Scripture. For others it’s light stretching & yoga. Whatever it is, the motto is true: win the morning, win the day.
Just as important is the nighttime routine. I’ve found most fail to realize that setting yourself up for success for the day begins the night before. I know I can’t wake up early to have the time I need for my morning routine if I’m caught binging Netflix until midnight.
Our bodies crave routine because those routines mentally and emotionally prepare us for what we expect to come after. Establishing a nighttime routine that relaxes you from the strains of the day prepares your body & soul for the rest that follows. So when you habitually start stretching half an hour every night before you plan to go to bed, that triggers your subconscious for what is supposed to follow - a good nights rest.
Evaluate your routines & rhythms, then recognize if they’re supporting your ultimate goals or if they’re a hindrance. This requires intentionality, but well established routines are a service to our bodies and the way we are created.
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Jake Naumcheff, CF-L1
