I’m a consistency guy. I actually think that probably most people are. That’s why things are extra stressful for most people right now.
I like to set my alarm for the same time everyday, get up, and do the same things for the first few hours of the day. At least on the weekdays. And I lax a bit on the weekends. Like all of us, these last few weeks, my rhythms have really been rattled. With no locked in routine to hold ones self accountable to, fatigue from radical change and stress will take a toll on you!
It’s time to set some new boundaries and establish rhythms. Even in times of working from home, know what you’re going to do every morning! Make a list the night before if that helps you. (I LOVE list). Know and leverage your body’s rhythms. Personally, I’m at my best in the morning. I also get a burst of energy after dinner. Which we’ve been using that time right now to take a walk or bike ride as a family.
For my “new”(temporary) mornings, I still get up early and dive into reading. Usually by 7am I’ve finished my morning email blog. It’s time to stretch and get a run in.
Breakfast is usually at 8:30-9am (But sometimes it’s a little later), and now i’m ready to conquer the day(i’ve already won the morning)!
What i’m getting at is this… Predictable rhythms enable our peak performance! Take your short breaks throughout the day. I promise that you will be more productive if you don’t work every minute of the day. I’ve had a home office for years and RARELY used it. Boundaries working from home are the toughest thing to manage for me and maybe for you to. I either work too long or something steals my time and focus.
I’m the guy who is very easily distracted.(As I was typing this line, a huge fish jumped in the lake out the window and it caught my attention).. So for me, setting very short range, daily goals helps big time. Right now, long term goals and BHAGS are not important. And if you focus too much on them, you’ll lose sight of what maters most right now which is today. You can write them down if you want, and re-visit them later on.
At some point, these days will be a distant memory, but you don’t want to have to completely retrain your good habits and rhythms. So during this “new” routine, control as much of your environment and rhythms as you can. You’ll be thankful you did when this all passes and we can all get back on track(much easier) with our long term routines!
What’s on your agenda for today?