A match made in heaven!

OK, so this one is going to start out a little patchy, a little contradictory…

Yep, I’m going to contradict myself right in front of the whole world.

READY?

I LOVE a good routine!

You know – that thing you do the same way, at the same time, for the same reason…every day! I do! It sets me up for daily success and keeps me grounded. A lot of people would describe that as dull, uninteresting, and possibly the one thing that would drive them to an early grave! Yep-that’s the one! Routine is often defined as “commonplace tasks, chores, or duties that must be done regularly” or at specified intervals, typically every day. You might be saying “Shoot – me – NOW!”

Stay with me on this….

Here it comes….

I LOVE change and spontaneity!

(You’re thinkin’ – the lady’s crazy, closing blog now….) 

WAIT! Hear me out…

I love new stuff, new ideas, and new ways of doing things. It’s in my genes! Some call it problem solving. Others call it creative thinking. Either way, I love a life where I’m not doing the same thing every single day. Where things change or I get to identify things that need to change and figure out how to do it!

Change is making the nature or content of something different from what it is. Spontaneity is defined as coming from some natural impulse, without premeditation. It’s unplanned.

So, you may be asking, “How can you love BOTH?” Hmm?

Well…Did you know that these two are related? Did you know that they NEED to coexist? Did you know that they help one another? And that they can help you too if you embrace them both…at the same time…like…in real life?

So, let’s take this full circle.

As a creative and/or creative thinker, I embrace BOTH routine and spontaneity.

By routine, I mean that my day is set up on a routine-like wireframe. My day is “structured.” (I have a planner and I use it!) For example, I have a morning routine that contains the same things, in the same order, every day. I don’t mean rigid; I mean that it occurs like clockwork. I set it up that way…on purpose… so it works for me, not against me. I’ll bet you have a routine you do in the morning too. But does it help you or is it just habit? Have you ever looked at it to see how it came about? Anything you’d like to change so you can start your day in a better mood, or be more productive and purposeful? Take an honest look! You may have several “routines” you have adopted that may not be in your best interest.

My daily “routine-like framework” contains various “blocks” of time for business planning, creative time, coaching, or “open” blocks to fit in unexpected items or to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer! I have a general idea of how I want my day to unfold and a general framework on which to make it happen. The point is to identify when during the day I am most productive at certain things and block them into my day. Routinely! Then, I review the day, and plan for tomorrow. Done!

So where does the change and spontaneity fit in?

You see, with this “structure” in place, I am FREE to fly like a kite during my time blocks because I know that all my other “stuff” has been taken care of and has its OWN time and place. I sit down and get the writing done so I feel FREE to focus on my creative pursuits without guilt when the time comes. (By the way, the FULL FOCUS PLANNER is what I use. Click HERE if you’d like to save $10 on your own FFP.) The enemy to success is distraction. I “should” be doing X! I’m “worried” I won’t have time for Y! OMG, I totally “forgot” about Z!

The relationship between routine and spontaneity can’t be overstated. If you lay out a structure (the routine part) on which to play, you know in your heart you have planned for everything that NEEDS to be done so you can focus on the things you WANT to do (the spontaneity part). The underlying structure of routine can help you be more productive, creative, spontaneous, and have more fun. I plan ahead to knock out the stuff I don’t necessarily like doing, so I know I have time for the stuff I want, and love, to do!

Routine and planning, with a topping of spontaneity and fun! Ya can’t beat it!

If you’d like help setting up habits and routines, grab my free pdf guide HERE or join me in my free Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/virginiasstudiocats

Let me know in the comments what “routine” you will set up so you can be spontaneous and productive in your play time.