Weekly Happiness Note September 5, 2024
Weekly Happiness Note September 5, 2024
Making Routine Work for You
“Prepping for tomorrow to be present in today.”
Happy Thursday! 🌞
Do you want to run for the hills when you hear the words schedule and routines? Or does having no structure and organization make you feel uneasy? What if it doesn’t have to be one or the other? What if having some sense of structure and organization could give you the freedom to go with the flow? To learn more, check out this week’s happiness note, “Making Routine Work for You.” I share one of my coaching tools to help you create your own version of routine
Check out this week's topic below (available for free subscribers) and consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive the weekly planning prompt and framework for September 9th - September 15th. ❤ Emily
Here is a short 90-second video that highlights this week’s topic, and for the rest, read below:
This Week’s Featured Topic:
Making Routine Work for You
What comes to mind when you think about routine? Does the idea of routine feel confining and boring? Or does having a routine give you a sense of comfort and balance?
Whatever thoughts come up for you about routine, there is a way to implement a regular practice and routine that is personalized to you.
I have areas of my life that are highly disciplined and routine and other areas that are wide open and free. I love having the balance of both because I need freedom as well as a desire to have structure and order. There is a fine line when deciding how structured or free you want your life to be. The thought of having my whole life planned out and structured feels suffocating. However, the idea of having zero organization and framework for the many moving parts of my life makes me feel panicked and somewhat itchy.
Here comes the easy part. When we step back and look at the big picture of our lives, we very quickly see what is working, what needs shifting, and how the different areas of our lives are interconnected. Chances are, you have many moving pieces and areas of your life you attend to daily.
When we take a snapshot of the big picture, with all the moving parts, we can quickly see where we need and want to add routine to our lives. There is something about exercising our freedom of choice regarding a routine that feels more empowering and motivating than being told we should do something. We know better than anyone else what works best for us and what we will most likely stick with over the long haul.
A really useful tool for getting a snapshot of your life is one I often use in my coaching practice: Life Wheels. Wheels are a great resource for creating more clarity and awareness. They help you take a current snapshot of your life and provide you with personalized information you can use to inform your next moves.
Wheels can measure all kinds of things in our lives. We can even use them to help us make decisions by comparing the pros and cons of a decision on two side-by-side wheels.
When looking at where you would like to add routine or where you would like to ease off on routine, wheels can also help you create that picture for yourself. Wheels are not meant to be used to judge yourself or to feel like you aren’t measuring up. They are intended to create a picture of your current level of satisfaction. They provide an honest picture of what works well and what you want to shift or keep the same. It is a tool that you can use. It is a great way to expand self-awareness.
Directions for creating your personalized wheel:
Blank Wheel:
Example of a Filled-In Wheel:
Step 1:
Draw a large circle on a piece of paper. Divide the circle into 8–10 segments (refer to the example I created if it is helpful to you).
Step 2:
Think of all the different areas of your life you spend the most time in and label the wheel with the key areas for each segment (you may have more or fewer segments than the example; it’s yours by design).
Step 3:
Think about your current level of satisfaction in each area, and give each area a numerical value from 1 to 10 (1 = low, 10 = high).
Step 4:
Shade in the different areas with a pen or colored pencils up to the numerical value (see example).
Step 5:
Spend some time looking at the overall picture of your wheel. What do you notice? What comes up for you as important? How do all of the different areas in your life affect each other? If you increased the level of satisfaction in one area, how would it influence the other areas? Do you have room to add more routines in any of the areas? Would you like less routine and more freedom in any of the areas? How will adding or shifting routine change your level of satisfaction in each area? Will adding or shifting routine change the overall picture of your daily life and your overall level of satisfaction?
There is no right or wrong way to do this wheel exercise. It is meant to get you thinking about your life and, more specifically, to help you determine whether there is room to make simple shifts in its structure. If you do want to make some changes in your routine, this is the opportunity to brainstorm what will work for you.
Often, it is the simple shifts we make that shape the overall level of our happiness. Think of this wheel like a tire on a car. Imagine what it would be like if the different areas of the tire weren’t balanced and level—it would surely make for a bumpy ride! When we focus on increasing our happiness in one area of our lives, it can have a positive impact on all of the other areas. This overall balance makes our journey smoother and more enjoyable.
Creating this picture for yourself is way more valuable than being told what you should do or what works for me. What works for me may not work for you. So, have fun creating your picture and informing yourself all about what is best for you. You get to decide how much or how little routine you need to feel satisfied in your life. Enjoy!
This Week’s Quote:
Limited on time or don’t feel like reading
Check out this week’s Video instead:
Subscribe above to unlock your weekly planning prompt, including a printable planner for the upcoming week of September 9th - September 15th.
Planning for Next Week📝:
Use the framework below to plan your upcoming week: September 9th- September 15th. Some people like to map out their forthcoming week on Friday to ease into the weekend, knowing they are ready to hit the road running on Monday. Others (like myself) have a Sunday planning ritual. Do what works best for you. Over the years, in supporting many people in their planning and goal-setting, it seems to work best to pick a day of the week that’s easy to stick to so that your weekly planning becomes a habit and ritual.
What are your wins? Before you organize the upcoming week, ‘September 9th- September 15th’, reflect on the week you are wrapping up. What are your wins (big or small)? What is something you are grateful for? What have you learned about yourself this week? Record your reflections in your journal or the Notes section of the Planner Printout. Feel free to comment below (others in this community will also be able to see your comment) or hit reply to this note and share directly with me.
Planner PDF printout: This printout is from the ‘Fall in Love with Your Life, Seasonal Planner’ and will give you the framework and planning system to help you organize your upcoming week: September 9th- September 15th. Click here to access. You will need to enter a password to open the PDF. It’s in all caps: FILWYL
Accountability: If you’d like an accountability check-in to support you in making the weekly planning ritual a regular habit, just hit reply to this email after you’ve organized your week and let me know you’re organized and complete. Feel free to share your weekly intention/power word. I’m always happy to be the check-in support and would love to celebrate your wins.
Instructional Video: Get free access to this mini 20-minute video course. It will show you how to efficiently use the ‘Fall in Love With Your Life, Seasonal Planner’ method of organizing your week. Go here to access the free video course.
Priorities: What are your top three priorities for the upcoming week? What are some of the daily ways you will prioritize yourself? Remember to balance your energy output with energy input. Think: What has been energizing me lately? What has been draining my energy?
Connect with Nature: As the seasons change, what is your ideal time for getting outside to connect with nature? Build that into your routine so that as the season unfolds, you can enjoy daily nature breaks.
Journal reflection points prompted by nature: What cues does nature give each day of the seasonal change? What can nature teach you about moving through change?
Share your intention for the week of September 9th- September 15th. What are you calling in? What is your power word/phrase?
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Disclaimer: The advice and strategies this newsletter shares are for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional advice. While we strive to provide accurate and useful information, we cannot guarantee outcomes or be held liable for any consequences resulting from using or misusing the information provided. We encourage you to seek professional advice or consult with qualified experts for specific guidance related to your particular needs.