I have a Sunday routine. I wake up early and go for a cycle at about 5am. I never rush it. Sometimes I cycle for one hour; sometimes three. I get home, smash food in my face, maybe take a nap, and then journal, meditate, and plan the week ahead.
I’m very protective over my routine. If anything throws me off, I start dropping balls and that makes me grumpy – and anxious!
This past Sunday tested my ability to cope outside my routine. I had a coaching client at 8am, which I don’t normally have, so that meant no “leisurely “cycle for me. But, that’s ok, because becoming a successful life coach is a goal and dream of mine. It could be a quick cycle and I’d be back in time for my client.
Not so.
Yes, another goal of mine is to improve my cycling. So is finding a new home to rent. The latter is not part of my routine – but has very much become part of my 13-year-old’s! I’m constantly distracted by hundreds of messages, saying, “Look at this one, mom!” or “Ooooh, this one’s preeettty.” And, of course, I have to look. It was too hot anyway to cycle and I’d already wasted so much time looking at houses that I thought I could never afford (Sophie, bless her, can have very expensive taste). So, the outdoor cycling never happened.
I had plenty of excuses but I figured I had to do something and decided to go to the gym for a Wattbike ride. But first – the life coaching session! Hope my client doesn’t mind gym clothes! I left my bag by the front door so that I wouldn’t have any more excuses. I finished the session – which was great – flew out the door, arrived at the gym, and then my phone rings. It’s Sophie. In between the house-hunting, she’d forgotten that she had modern dancing auditions. Shit. I almost walked out because I had lost all enthusiasm …
. But I reminded myself that I had come this far – and that I had goals to smash – and made friends with the Wattbike. There was nothing I could do about the auditions – it was Sophie and her dad’s problem now.
. But I reminded myself that I had come this far – and that I had goals to smash – and made friends with the Wattbike. There was nothing I could do about the auditions – it was Sophie and her dad’s problem now.One-and-a-half hours later and I was one step closer to my cycling goal. I did it! It wasn’t within my usual routine but it was done. I had a vision and I kept reminding myself what that vision was – routine or not.
Routine is good. It keeps me on track. I like to think of it as the scaffolding that I can climb to the top of the building (my goals). When that scaffolding breaks, it can be disastrous but the building still has to be built and somebody has to do it. Might as well be me. Or you.
Know what your vision is. Keep it in your mind’s eye and kick your own butt every day to keep climbing. The view from the top is amazing.
Share your vision with me – I’d love to know what it is!
