Sacredness in Routine
Life as a 20s-something college student is fun and exhilarating, but the chaos of not having a regular sleep schedule, not knowing what or when the next meal will be, and barely having enough time to work out, let alone hang out with friends, causes extreme stress and can set one up for failure. Everyone talks about needing a routine and forming habits as if a switch just needs to be flipped that will suddenly make a fully-fledged adult appear. But most of us know that it's not that easy, even when we don’t admit it.
It can take over two hundred repetitions to form a habit. But once a habit or routine is formed, it requires little to no thought to complete. And that’s where you find the magic. Decision fatigue is when a threshold of decisions for the day is reached; with each subsequent decision that needs to be made, the quality of those decisions goes down. Practicing a routine can dispel decision fatigue. And though it’s difficult, it can be done.
Routines are not homework or part of optimizing your life, they are sacred actions that bring peacefulness. Find the magic within routine and let that be the guide that helps establish those routines. I’ve been practicing yoga for over ten years, but only in the last two years did it finally start feeling like part of my magical practice. What changed? I re-oriented my thinking to understand yoga not as a workout routine but as a way to start my mornings in silence as I move my body mindfully. I don’t do yoga to get toned, build muscle, or become more flexible. I do yoga to practice mindfulness and set a positive tone for the rest of my day.
Routine needs to grow from a solid root system of the person you want to be. That means there is a necessity for a bit of set-up when establishing routines. To be a person who shows up for their friends and arrives to activities on time, start showing up for yourself. Get up at the same time every day because it’s a commitment you’ve made to yourself, not because it’s going to make a more productive member of society. Roots begin as concrete actions before they can grow into esoteric branches.
My favorite form of magic is the everyday kind. Routines have helped me open myself up to that magic. With my headspace clear of unnecessary decision-making, I find it easier to make mindful choices. To me, routine is sacred. It’s my gateway to peace of mind, fullness of soul, and ease of heart.
