Changes on Routine — 30 Days Writing Challenge

Well, it’s been a while. I’ve been busy with several changes on stuffs. You know, moving from one country to another, and from home to another neighborhood are exasperating, so I barely remember this challenge. lol.

I’ve been out of the strong routines that have allowed me to thrive for months. Needless to say, my productivity stoned. Moreover, since I go back to Indonesia in this pandemic situation, my schedule became dynamic. I don’t have an exact routine as I used to. I guess it’s not only me, but everyone’s routine has been changed due to this situation.

Currently, I don’t really have a sequence of actions that I do repeatedly every day, especially in the morning. Maybe there are, but for me likely more to be basic needs. I usually wake up at 04.30, pray and back to sleep. I’ll wake up again at around 07.00 then make my bed, read some articles and recite affirmations to my lover. Once I’ve taken care of my basic needs, I immediately turn my attention to my first priority which varies each day.

Most of people are designing their morning routine to determine the massive success of the whole day, but for a not-so-morning-person like me I don’t think it’s totally effective. I agree that routine creates high achievers, but it doesn’t have to be a routine that’s done in the morning. I don’t design my morning routine as a start to get a productive state of mind, I prefer to set it up on my evening routine. In the evening, I used to set the priorities for the next day, reflect upon the day and focus on restoring my energy.

I don’t want to put everyone in the same boat, we’re all in different situations and my ideal routine can’t be the same for you. Designing a routine is up to yourself. It based on what you feel motivated to try and what you think you could be consistent with over the long term. Either a morning routine or evening routine, it won’t be effective if it only lasts a few days.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle

-d-