Creating Order Amongst the Chaos

Overview

• It is possible to design your day in way that is guaranteed to leave you feeling fulfilled
• Structured routines don't restrict you, they free you
• Set yourself up for success by creating a bit of order in your own life

In today's day an age, our lives are filled with over stimulation and hyperactivity. It is not uncommon to have each day of the week jam packed with stuff to do from 6am to 7pm, every day.

In addition to our daily lives and particularly in the current environment with the coronavirus, our lives are filled with more uncertainty than ever. The news is filled with negative press that we don't even know is true. Trying to balance our personal and professional lives in a busy, uncertain and ever changing environment is so taxing on the brain and can at times feel very complicated and impossible!

It can be easy to get frustrated and upset by the events that occur outside of your sphere of influence such as having to change holiday plans to see family, moving house, job opportunities or anything else that prevents you from doing what you want. Moreover, with life moving at a million km/h finding time for yourself becomes increasingly difficult. It is possible, though, to design your day in which you have full control over what happens during certain times of the day.

About 6 months ago I read a book by Robin Sharma called The 5am Club. The 5am club tells a story of how an entrepreneur and an artist's lives are drastically changed for the better after they meet a homeless man at a conference. Long story short, the homeless man turns out to be a business typhoon and he invites the entrepreneur and artist on an adventure for him to teach them the secret to his success in achieving fulfilment every day - his morning routine.

The point that resonated with me most from this story is how important it is to schedule time for yourself each day and to treat yourself as if you were someone you are responsible for helping.

So I thought, why not try this out? Nothing to lose...

Creating your Own Order

Now, I'm not about to go on about how everyone needs to wake up at 5am every morning, but I would highly consider implementing a structured morning (or night) routine in which you give yourself time to reflect, meditate, exercise, read or learn before you head out into the uncertain world each day. After 6 months of experimenting with different routines, I have experienced the following:

• I get time for myself to do what I want, without distraction
• By completing tasks first thing in the morning, I have more freedom for the rest of the day
• I feel good for the remainder of the day knowing I have already achieved most of what I want for that day
• It feels great knowing that by the time you arrive at work/university, you have already conquered most of your day

Your routine can consist of anything you like and can be at any time that suits your life, for me, I prefer the morning and try to stick to the following at least 5 days a week:

0530 - Wake up

0540-0620 Exercise

0620-0640 Meditate/Reflect

0640-0700 Read/Journal

0700-0730 Any other personal project/study

What worked for me is putting aside 1-1.5 hours every morning and taking 1 day at a time. Make time for yourself to do the things you want before you go out and start your day.  It isn't easy, but, it will be worth it.

Creating your own slice of order among the chaos gives you something to look forward to, something to control, influence and most importantly (in my opinion), precious time for yourself.