routine | Crazy Buddhaful

The other morning I was laying in bed thinking to myself that I really want to have a set morning routine. I recently decided that the routine I was trying to establish wasn’t working, so instead of trying harder, I wanted to try better. In all honesty, what I was trying didn’t have the set structure of a regular routine, and I think that was a big part of why it fell apart. I had specific things I wanted to do everyday, but I just couldn’t place them into a schedule I could follow. So I’m lying in bed thinking about this new routine when I go through my email to discover that the universe, via one of my dearest friends, has sent me a message:

A Navy SEAL’s Morning Routine To Stay Focused & Feel Great All Day – mindbodygreen.com

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-21668/a-navy-seals-morning-routine-to-stay-focused-feel-great-all-day.html

I’ve made a few tweaks and am now on Day 2 of my new morning routine:

1. Find a calm space.

I’ve decided to start my mornings outside. I live in the hills and have a truly wonderful outdoor space, but for some inexplicable reason, I barely spend any time out there. I’ve come to view this place as my version of Thoreau’s Walden, and I’m hoping that this practice will lead to me spending more time out there.

2. Drink a glass of water.

3. Write three things I’m grateful for with my left hand.

I was recently inspired by another article (https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/06/07/the-magic-of-the-book-hermann-hesse-my-belief/) to start practicing writing with my left hand (I’m right handed). I attempted this a few years ago, but like most things soon forgot about it. It almost feels like a meditation practice because I have to be truly focused on what I’m doing and nothing else.

4. Mindfully stretch.

5. Breathing meditation for a minimum of five minutes.

Breathe in for 3, hold for 3, breathe out for 3, hold for 3. Repeat.

I haven’t made up my mind on whether I want to make a list or plan for the day. I’ve found that whenever I make lists of things I want to do, I usually don’t get through most of the items and then just feel really shitty about myself. I do like the idea of visualization though. Maybe I’ll try visualizing one thing I want to do each day.