Enjoy the little things, one day you’ll remember they were the big things

We have all dealt with the huge changes over the last 9 months and one technique I have used has been to embrace a routine. Here is some background why they work and also maybe now is a time to challenge and adapt them to meet the new norm.

Benjamin Franklin was big on routine. Ever wondered who said. ‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’? That was Benjamin Franklin. And, like him, I aspire to a basic routine because routine removes the need to deliberate over what you should do …. Once you’ve established a routine you’ve already made those decisions. Anything that removes that need for constant decision-making is fine by me.

However, a new season is a kind of new beginning. It may be that you’d like to be better organised, so establishing a routine for more basic chores can be effective. We tend to create our daily routines according to what we know we have to do and these vary depending on whether you only have yourself to think of, or if there are others who also need organising. But we can also get into habits that no longer serve us, so it’s worth thinking things through.

Having a morning routine can help us get out of the door on time without rushing. Think about:

What time you need to leave home to be at your destination on time, then work backwards from that.

Getting up early enough to allow enough time to do what you need to do – shower, breakfast, exercise – before you leave. For me, an extra 20 minutes is needed just in case, but everyone is individual, so be realistic.

If you have to mastermind a family, life gets trickier. Ensuring everyone is ready to leave the house on time with everything they need, can try the best of us. This is where routine really helps. Usually it falls to the parent to remember what needs to be done, but there’s no reason why children can’t be asked to check and put their things together the night before. Providing them with the means – a peg or box for the next day, a nudge to check it contains their homework, a place to put their shoes, coasts – helps them learn the benefits of a routine from a young age and is a skill for life. This is true of evening routines, too. With a regular bedtime, this is a signal to wind down the day and prepare for sleep. As adults, we also benefit form this. And because what you do before you go to bed can have an impact on how smoothly the next day begins, it makes sense to have a routine for this. You could check your diary for the following day, for example, or select what you want to wear and ensure it is clean and ironed.

Our bodies like routine, including the routine of regular mealtimes and of sleeping and waking. We feel physically contained and reassured by it, it allows our minds to relax and function more peacefully, and we are alert to those ‘signals’ of routine that signify structure and the security implied by this.

Creating a routine for the more mundane aspects of life frees the mind for creativity and can make us more productive. The reality is that many a creative soul has thrived on routine. So, what about you, how can you bring in a routine to help your creativity flow.  

Please be kind to yourself and your mind.