My daily routine varies depending on the weekday vs. the weekend. Here’s the basics, these days, on all that happens!
Whether it’s learning a new skill or practicing a habit, consistency is key! As a result, maintaining a fairly unchanging routine is essential to me. A well formed daily routine keeps me on track!
Here’s a brief look at my daily routine. I’ve broken things down between my daily routine on a workday and my daily routine on a weekend! Stay tuned at the end for a little reflection on my daily routine, and what I would like to see it do in the new year!
MY DAILY ROUTINE: MONDAY – FRIDAY
For consistency’s sake, by Monday – Friday, we’re under the assumption it’s not a holiday! Save for those days, Monday – Friday is a workday.
1. Rising routine. I have an alarm set for 5:40 AM. That gives me time to wake up, brush my teeth, and play on my phone for a little bit. Then, I do some stretching while I watch a Youtube video, to wake my body for a workout. In the mornings, I’ll either go for a run or I’ll go for a walk. If I’m taking a walk, I might listen to some atmospheric music or an Audible book! However, lately I’ve found myself daydreaming on my walks. It’s a truly meditative time of day for me!
2. Pre-Work Prep. After my cardio, I come home and pop in the shower. A quick face wash and a rinse-off and I’m squeaky clean for the day! I will typically prepare a cup of coffee for Aaron, and then escort the cats down for breakfast. Their automatic feeder goes off every day, at the same time. However, Rosa hasn’t quite figured out the routine! As a result, I usually have to walk her and even pick her up to put her in front of her bowl. As a nice coincidence, their feeder goes off at 8AM, just as I clock in for work!
3. My Work Day. Working 9-5, what a way to make a livin’! Not really, more like 8-5 with a lunch hour somewhere in the middle. My work day consists of designing websites in a WordPress environment. I work off a group of templates designed by a higher level development team. I’m hoping that next year, I can make my own template that works off colors, not photos! Sometimes clients have high hopes for a website that ultimately won’t be as successful because they don’t provide high quality images. I’d like to carve out that problem for others! In the meantime, between buildouts of sites, I occasionally get “paged” to repair broken things on previously launched sites, or polish off a site in final stages before a launch. It’s a fun job!
3B. My lunch break. On my lunch break, I take the hour to do things for me! Sometimes Aaron and I go to lunch, but sometimes I eat at my desk after my break. That way, during my break, I can nap or go for a bike ride! More often than not, however, I end up washing dishes. That’s a great perk of working from home– chores are just a few feet away from my desk! If I don’t have a bike ride planned, I tend to take my lunch break later in the afternoon. As a result, I tend to only have an hour or two left in my day when I come back! I find that 12PM – 2PM, when working, breezes by quickly!
4. Dinner. My time after dinner is spent relaxing. Aaron tends to prepare dinner for us! We usually eat dinner in front of the TV, with either a new program or something we’ve watched a million times over and love (think “30 Rock” or “Arrested Development”). Before and after he prepares for dinner, we talk about our days, share our thoughts, and spend time together. Typically, around 7PM, we part ways till 10PM.
5. Post Dinner, Pre-Bed. Depending on my motivation that day, those three hours are spent either on “me time” or productive activities! This is when I write, finish my steps, or code. Aaron will either work with me, or he’ll play video games with his friends! It’s a good way to balance out my desire for solitude and keep him connected to his friends. I try to wind down, most nights, around 9:30.
6. Bedtime! On my best days, I’m asleep by 10:30. However, if Aaron and I go to bed at the same time, we’ll often watch Instagram reels together or talk before falling asleep at 11:30. Jake will, at some point, crawl onto my pillow and sleep on my head shortly after I fall asleep.
MY DAILY ROUTINE: WEEKENDS
1. Rising Routine. I admit, some mornings I’m too lazy to do anything but stay in bed! However, most mornings, even on the weekends, I get up and go for some sort of exercise. I like a good walk on a Saturday morning! I tend to go either early, to get home in time before 8AM, or I wait until after 8AM to make sure Rosa eats her breakfast. When I get back, I bring Aaron his coffee!
2. Grocery Run. Going to the store on a weekend morning gives me a sense of completion. It’s another almost meditative time. I organize my list so I start on the far right and work my way across the aisles. Any time I don’t organize my list this way, something inevitably gets missed!
3. Personal Project. Be it writing code or some other productive measure for the week, my Saturday mornings/early afternoons are spent at my computer! I’m more likely to have had a full night of sleep, so my brain feels sharp and ready to work! Lunch falls somewhere before or after this space in time.
4. Entertaining Screentime. Boy oh boy, does my “Watch Later” playlist on Youtube grow faster than I can count! Usually around 2PM, I cease working and turn my attention to a show, movie, or Youtube. If I’m feeling sleepy, I’ll catch some Z’s instead. My laundry usually gets put in the washing machine before I get too comfortable! However, if I’m on a roll with my personal project of the day, I’ll work through the afternoon. Inspiration and motivation combined gets so fleeting! I soak it up every second it comes around for a while.
5. Dinner! On Saturday nights, Aaron and I will have something special for dinner, like pizza or Chinese food. However, on Sundays, we tend to cook something just as delicious (but probably loads healthier). We also might sit down to watch a movie and spend the night together, rather than on separate screens!
6. Post-Dinner Fun. Sometimes, Aaron and I will sit together and read, write, or watch something, The proximity is just nice! However, other nights one of us will be Skyping or visiting with friends in person! Saturday nights get relatively hard to predict, but we are usually in bed by 1 AM.
Notice any patterns? Fairly consistent rising time, bedtime, and productivity reign in my daily routine! However, I do still have my lazy days! Sometimes I don’t get out of bed till 10, and then just watch Youtube until 7PM. When those days happen, I tend to take it as a sign to reconnect. Clearly, my brain needs that lethargic space at that point! Usually, by the next day, I’m back on target.
However, for all that this consistency in my daily routine has, I don’t have as fabulous a life as those around me who talk all the big game about morning routines! Greats like Amy Landino and Lauryn Evarts Bosstick have it down to a science, and they’re living the life they want to be living. What is the life I want to be living? Walking in nature and writing all day in a hammock and also my hair is long and healthy.
Wow. I think that’s the first time I’ve actually put what I want into a single sentence. Imagine that!
In the new year, I want to take a look at the ins and outs of a strong routine. Perhaps my daily routine will change with it! Truthfully, I don’t think I’ll ever be an “Artists Way” or “Daily Stoic” kind of person. However I also didn’t think I’d ever drink coffee of my own free will. The rules have changed this year!