I now have the luxury of being free to arrange my schedule and priorities pretty much as I wish -- and over the past couple of weeks I've become increasingly aware of the importance of creating a morning routine that will both nurture me and propel me toward my goals.
I'm a morning person, so assuming I'm getting the sleep I need (and even if I'm not), I'm at my best in the first few hours of the day. Continuing to get up around 5:30am gives me the quiet, focused time I need before I need to get Wolfling out of bed and drive her to school.
Here's my first pass at a daily routine.
* Morning Pages: Julia Cameron's basic exercise from "The Artist's Way" -- three pages written in longhand about whatever is on your mind. Not for publishing or sharing. I need this to get in touch with myself first thing and process whatever is moving in my life. Caffeine will be consumed.
* Connection Rituals: Once I'm awake, centered, and in touch with myself, I can connect with Ereshkigal, Inanna, and Lohain, and consciously put on the rings that signify those commitments.
* Healthy Breakfast
* Review goals, tasks, calendar
* Wake up Wolfling, connect with her, get her to school
* Do a workout of some kind, depending on the schedule. On rest days, do stretching and gentle yoga.
* Take a shower, get dressed
* Do meditation and other morning spiritual practices. I need to be awake, relaxed, and neither hungry nor full. Meditating after both breakfast and exercise seems like a good way to achieve a state that's been elusive for far too long.
I see this as being an every day routine. The difference on the weekends is that I'll sleep until I wake up rather than set the alarm. And Wolfling isn't here on weekends.
None of this is what others have told me I *should* do. It's what I've learned that I both want and need to be who I want to be.
And that's the theme for my life right now: becoming who I want to be.
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