This isn’t about religion, it’s about separation.
I could write a novel about the value of habits and routines, but had an idea the other day regarding the spaces in between. While working with PrimeMind this week, my normal habits and routines have been somewhat upset. It’s the same reconfiguration process that happens when I forgo my preferred diagonal sleeping position and let someone spend the night. It’s not a bad thing, it’s a new thing.
I did wake up in an unusually horizontal position this morning, but—as much as I love the editorials—I can’t imagine how that has anything to do with PrimeMind.
My normal routine looks something like this:
The buffer (far left) that starts my day is, as much as possible, designed to be devoid of external influence. I don’t check my texts, emails, or social and make the first part of my day all about self-care. I’ll meditate, hit the gym, and take the time to enjoy breakfast (even if it’s a protein shake) while looking out at the boats in the marina.
After finishing breakfast, I’ll head to the cafe where the baristas already have my cold brew waiting for me when I walk in (snapchatted this event the other day). Sitting down with my coffee, I’ll open my computer and jump directly into creation. I’ve found that it’s far easier to make something in the morning when you haven’t been bombarded by external influences showing what already exists in the world.
Whether I’m writing an email for this series or designing elements for the new Ghost Influence website, it’s easier to open up to other people’s messages once I’m already in flow. Responding to messages (email, facebook slack, etc.) in batches is far more efficient, but getting distracted to respond to something urgent is less of a distraction when the thing I’m working on is mostly finished.
As creation starts to wayne, communication and curation start to ramp up. This is where I’ll start to manage projects, jump into sales mode, curate content, and fight my inbox back to that magical zero. This could go forever, but I cut it at dinner. I’ll usually try to go for a short walk between finishing work and eating dinner as it gives my brain a bit of time to reset and actually enjoy the activity of eating.
Lastly, I’ll end the night by processing the day. This involves cutting ties with technology an hour before bed, dimming the lights (which helps the body produce serotonin), and free-writing in my Brainfeed Journal. All of this enables me to sleep when I actually want to sleep. Having had a few bouts of insomnia in the past, this routine is a far better alternative to restless nights or the drugs to counter them.
That’s my normal process… in working with PrimeMind it’s been a bit topsy turvy and mostly a result of needing to Uber the 3.5 miles to their office during peak traffic times. I usually pool and the process takes 40 minutes one way. This means that I’m spending more than an hour of my day commuting. Having seen a live-in girlfriend fight through the same struggle, I was never something I wanted to experience.
There’s nothing to overcome, but rather a new environment with which to adapt.
I’m looking at motorcycles to cut my commuting time as well as create a greater sense of control in my daily movements. That will also make it a lot easier to hit the gym, something I’ve been without for the last week, and rejigger a bit of my routine.
If you don’t create change, change will create you.
You can separate and batch your activities for greater focus, but the most effective version of you lies on the other side of small habits and routines. It takes conscious effort to create, test, and modify these rituals, but the value to your life is immense.
How are you presently working to adapt?