Pattern for an Ideal Day

Everyone is and always has been writing about productivity but is that the real purpose of our life, to be productive and optimize every moment of the day? Business is definitely an easy alternative to answering the higher questions about purpose and giving our own lives meaning. It is almost a blessing that we don't see this when we are young because it gives us time to gain life experience before we try to find our purpose. In that meantime, we have discovered a lot about our abilities and inclinations. Of course, children often know their purpose with a clarity unimpeded by self-imposed constraints. The happy medium for pursuing our life's purpose must be to have some life experience but maintain the ability to dream and aspire.

Another angle to consider is that I might be the world's leading trendsetter. My Luddite tendency to resist and ignore the tides of technology is suddenly becoming popular among the masses. I never got on to Facebook (why would I want to 'connect' with pepole I don't already know and spend time with?) or instagram (my life is already awesome and fulfilling and it is none of your business) or tiktok (ADD much?). While I would aver that youtube greatly benefited my health , I have no use for the majority of 'information' there, nor video games, cable TV, or Pokemon Go. Heck, I don't even answer my cell phone half the time, as my friends know. I enjoy living my life and I don't need anyone else to 'like' that. The people I coach and lead physically follow me. If I have anything of value to share with the community, it isn't my image and I will probably write about it. Ok now, I am off my soap box.

I have been retired for two months and, for a person whose life has been dominated by a sense of personal accountability, discipline and order. The past seven weeks have seen me adrift and on the edge. I have come to realize that much of what I told myself I could do if I had the time is actually harder than it looked from my captain's chair. I have also come to realize that I could have perhaps done more while I was working and despite the additional time commitment, it could have balanced and enhanced my life and possibly prevented me from overextending myself at work. However, that is all water under the bridge.

Now that I have had time to recover from mental and emotional burnout, a pattern is beginning to emerge based on pursuing my interests and inclinations. What I will share with you is not original, because the pattern evolved naturally, but it works for me so consider it food for thought.

The first thing I do in the morning when I wake up at 6 am is physical exercise. Right now, my exercise is physical therapy but when that injury is healed, I will focus on martial training. By that I mean the kind of physical exercise that disciplines both mind and body. Days off see me taking a walk. I am a morning person and I want to do everything first thing in the morning. Go for a hike, read, write, garden. I used to wake up at 5am and begin work first thing in the morning. By the time many logged on around 9, I already had a half-day of work behind me. I choose to focus on physical activity first thing in the morning for both practical and philosophical reasons. Philosophically, it brings focus and movement into my day and into my body.

That sets the tone for coherence and physical activity throughout the rest of the day. The practical note is that I know I am going to sweat and then need a shower afterwards. I douse myself during morning exercises. A big part of me wants my first activity to be something spiritual, a ritual of sorts and it may evolve that way but I have found previously that too many tasks in the morning (feed the dogs, feed the cats, light the candles, burn the incense, recite the prayer, water the plants, make breakfast...) only dilutes my intentions so it is better to address those things later in the day.

The next hour, or so, is for bathing, dressing and dining. My simplified wardrobe and natural beauty ;) systems do the heavy lifting for the the first two items. Dining is the time I spend with my daughter. She appears in the kitchen around 720 and we talk and eat breakfast. Then, I drive her to school. We talk about all sorts during the drive and I try to listen twice as much as I talk. She is not allowed to use her cell phone during this time.

After I return home from the school run, I begin what is popularly called deep work. The next four hours are dedicated to reading, writing and oratory. This is my own personal self-improvement program. I read for an hour and fifteen minutes, then I write for an hour and fifteen minutes and then I practice articulation and oratory for the next hour and fifteen minutes. Sometimes this is reading a book or my own writing aloud, and sometimes this is meeting a friend for coffee and chatting. In this world where everything is shouting and one is restricted to responding solely via text message, I feel a need for real dialogue, and to hear my own voice as well as those of others. I squeeze about fifteen minutes of piano practice into this block as an outlet between activities.

The lunch hour is for water, walking and dining. I eat lunch and then take a stroll outside in the middle of the day. This is where a hat comes in handy. After the walk, I douse myself again. Sidling up around one or two in the afternoon, I take an hour for personal business, being the CEO of my life by managing my assets, folding laundry, paying the bills, orgainzing the calendar, cleaning the house, etc. After that, I run errands or attend appointments away from home. In the afternoon, I spend more time with my daughter. We do bible study together, her idea; or we walk to the store or garden. I help her with homework when needed. Again, I try to listen twice as much as I speak. It is a rule I learned coaching soccer and it ought to be applied to all relationships.

Here the edges of the pattern start to blur like watercolors. Activities slide into one another and combine in new shapes and forms until after dinner. Dinner is a sit down affair with everyone washed and present. Sometimes the conversation is stilted (teenagers) but often it is lively and there is laughter. After dinner, I again have time to pursue my own aims but this time is fungible. Sometimes I connect with my partner. We usually go to the gym together or sit and talk. On occasion, we play games as a family but more often I will play a game with my daughter; memory, or cards.

That is, on the evenings she is not attending youth group or practicing soccer. We have tea and then I attempt to hustle her off to bed. She is a natural night owl so she can think of a million reasons to stay up a bit later. I am very fond of walking. Have you noticed? I try to always walk the dog before getting ready for bed. This is a substantial walk but not strenuous.

There you have it -my pattern resembles a melting popsicle. The top part, which you take on first is sharp, and well-defined as you near the bottom or end of the day, the shape is still there but there are a lot of lose (dripping) ends. I resisted patterning my life for such a long time because I did not like the pattern work had spread on my paper. Talk about blurred lines. My reluctance to create my own patterns only allowed work to bleed over every other area of life. Taking control of my time and directing my energy toward what is important to me has allowed me to understand how best to use my life. I am sure that challenges will arise and opportunities will knock but I know I can create a life that I love out of these patterns for ideal days.