I am not the most spontaneous person you will meet in this lifetime. I guess this is part of me being introvert and timid and at the same time, I am a fan of having a routine. This is not to to say though that I am void of any spontaneity in my life. No! No! No! I strongly believe that my basic routine paves the way for me to understand what I still have and ergo, make room for unprogrammed or unplanned events or happenings.
Having a routine is like a discipline, method that allows me to understand what are the essentials in my life. After knowing the essentials, the rest is subject to agility, flexibility and spontaneity. :)
As an IT project management practitioner, the "routine" is tantamount to the backlog in an Agile Delivery, where I focus on my "musts" and then the rest are nice to have. It is important to prioritize because in the order of priority comes the non-negotiables and what we can compromise.
As a busy full time mom and working professional, the musts which comprise my routine are (in order of priority):
1. Everything about my son - spending time with him - cuddling him, reading him to sleep, tucking him to bed, playing with him, his happiness, his growth, his schooling, his medical appointments, his crowd and his social events.
2. My core and extended family, including friends this includes attending to our household, ensuring that we have our home supplies, food on our table, bills are paid and being in touch with my family and friends across the globe. Attending to my husband and my son and our home which includes grocery shopping, home maintenance, etc.
3. Mental,physical and emotional Health which includes all of my medical appointments, good food/diet, me time - yoga and meditation, walking, reading a book, cooking time, occasional shopping and spa/massage time. After all, if I do not have good health, how can I function 100% for my family and for my personal mission. It is important to be sane, to be happy and to be confident in one´s life. I have previously said this and will repeat - Charity begins at home. You cannot give what you do not have. If I am mentally drained and physically exhausted, how can I give happiness and positivism to my love ones?
4. Work - work is a must. I am grateful and indebted to my work. But it is not my life. During the time that I am in my office, I am 100% dedicated to my work. But I have a life after my work. I rarely sacrifice my medical appointments to be in a meeting. During Fridays, I rush out early to fix my son from school.
As the above mentioned is my priority list, I build my weekdays and weekends based on those. And from time to time, if there is a get together with friends and other circles, a new exhibit in a museum, a new restaurant to try, I certainly can make time for them knowing that my non negotiables have been met.
This "routine" also applies in my financials. I make sure that I pay my dues, spend for the essentials such as my son´s extra curricular activities, son´s school needs, groceries/food/medicine, home bills, and save some before I splurge on the nice to have such as bags, clothes, shoes or any other whims.
It is okay to so no. It is healthy. What is important in our life is to understand our essentials and strike a balance.
Have a blessed Sunday to you all!
*** photos are not mine. downloaded from the internet. credits to the owners. thank you.
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