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Five Steps to a New Routine
By Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach
I've noticed that in the two years since the major de-cluttering of my apartment,
clutter has been creeping back in.
So what DO you do after you've cleared the clutter? If your day-to-day routines
are continuing to create clutter, then you'll always be one step behind it.
5 Steps to a New Daily Routine
- Identify the problem. Think of things that tend to "sneak
up" on
you in your life — annual things like tax time, monthly things like invoicing
clients, weekly things like running errands or daily things like meal times.
For this article, we'll use the example — "I'm always rushed
in the morning."
- Identify the costs. If the costs aren't that high, you probably won't
be motivated to do anything to change it. The costs of being rushed in the
morning
may include: poor choices for breakfast or no breakfast at all, poor digestion
from eating too fast or perhaps not eating at all and having coffee on
an empty stomach. Then, getting to work in a rush results in stressful travel,
impatience
and unpleasant interactions with fellow travelers. This will affect your
whole day.
- Back it up. So you're rushed in the morning — what choices did you make
up to this point that resulted in being rushed?
- Experiment with some changes in your routine. Don't be rigid; you're
in the "lab" here. One day you can try going to bed a half hour
earlier and waking up a half hour earlier. The next day try laying out your
clothes
the night before. The next day try putting your lunch (and any other lunches
you have to prepare) together the night before. The next day try a 5-minute
meditation break in the morning.
- Commit to a new daily routine. Once you've experimented for a week or
so, look back and reflect on which strategies made the most difference to
your
morning (and the rest of your day). Use structures as reminders (tack up
a list of your routine), inspiration (post a photo that represents the kind
of
relaxing morning you'd like to have) or tracking (give yourself a gold
star or another fun and visual marker on the calendar for every day that
you implement
your new routine).
Remember that it's not about keeping a perfect routine or beating yourself
up for straying from it — it's about making healthier choices every day. If
you slip, your very next choice can set you straight again. •
© Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services. 03/08/05
About the Author | More by Linda Dessau
Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. Feel like your creativity is blocked? Sign-up for the free e-course, "Roadblocks to Creativity" by visiting www.genuinecoaching.com.
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