I’ve been doing my best to craft some healthier routines before the school year starts, something I’ve rambled on about here several times this month. Today, though, my day got thrown off by a lot. A doctor’s appointment for my mom turned into a little emergency (are there any little emergencies?) and we ended up with an hours-long outlook on the day instead of only a short blood draw.
Normally, I wouldn’t think too much about the change in plans. Thankfully, the rest of my afternoon was clear, and Ryan could take care of the only thing the kids needed. I would be lying if I said it didn’t throw me for a “new, healthier routines” loop. I hadn’t brought a water bottle, though I had plenty of coffee, and I hadn’t worked out in the morning before I left the house. I had a book but nothing for writing, and I know by now that my Notes app is basically where my thoughts go to never be looked at again.
When I finally went home for a quick bite to eat, it wasn’t nearly as healthy as my choices have been the rest of the week. I wanted to take a nap instead of working on anything on my to-do list, but I turned to this little post instead, a kind of compromise of sorts. (No fiction prompt but at least some writing time in an otherwise chaotic day.)
In the overreaching arc of life, today is the least of my issues in terms of lack of productivity or solidifying routines, but it was a reminder of how hard it can be to balance flexibility and stability. Strong routines matter, because the little things we do each day add up — I truly believe that. More water is better than hydrating with coffee and diet coke. 10,000 steps is better than daily Gossip Girl marathons. Fruit and vegetables are better than copious amounts of cheese cubes.
Yet without flexibility, those routines can never become, well, routine.
I have to remember that I’m working to do these things as a cumulative effect, not just a quick fix. It’s hard to think of it like that when the beginning of the week went according to plan and this day just didn’t, even though there wasn’t much on my agenda. As the school year begins, pivoting becomes so much more of a part of daily life, and the ability to slide back into those planned routines will be crucial to keeping them moving forward.
Tomorrow, I will worry about my step count again, and I’ll try not to feel guilty about the missing checkboxes on a list no one looks at but me.
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