Family & friends! This is your mid-week motivational message from me to you, just to lift your spirits during these difficult days.
POINT 2 PONDER: “STRUCTURE IS A WAY OF ORGANIZING YOUR LIFE SO THAT IT MAKES SENSE TO YOU.”
Well, here we are, weeks into house hibernation, and this loosey-goosey lifestyle has me constantly guessing: What time is it? What day is it? No structure, no nothing! If you know me, you know that I delight in routine and drown in chaos. Just give me a to-do list, and I’m a happy camper. Structure in my daily life helps me to think positively, take action, and—the best part—feel a real sense of accomplishment! You, too?
Before this crisis I’ll bet you led an extra busy, on-the-go life filled with daily scheduling and a lot of order. I’ll bet you did it all! I’ll bet you did it well! Like you, I enjoyed a routine (in my retirement) which kept me moving and connecting to the world. Diann’s Day by design goes like this:
- Start with a 1 mile power walk around the neighborhood (365 days = 365 miles, the equivalent of 14 marathons, the closest I will EVER get to a marathon!)
- Monday = “Mosey Monday” (moving in a more leisurely manner), lunch w/friends, and errands/shopping while everyone else is at work/school (love those short lines)
- Tuesday & Thursday = volunteer at Cary Christian School (where our 4 grandchildren are getting an exceptional education!)
- Wednesday = Yoga/Tai Chi, possibly 9 A.M. coffee with McD Mates, and tutoring with Semilles de Unidad (mi estudiante es Ingrid una nina dulce)
- Friday = cleaning/laundry/groceries and BEST of all…Date Night (ooh-la-la!)
- Saturday = lots of activities, and extra time with Russ who works M-F in the corporate world
- Sunday = preaching/praising and prep for the coming week
- PLUS toss in some serendipitous moments with family & friends…and I am a BLESSED woman! 🙂
So you can imagine my despair when my systematized existence came to a screeching halt with COVID-19. I know you can relate, too!
And that, my friends, was my motivation for our message today. I want to encourage you to have structure and a daily routine especially while hibernating at home. Try this, it works for me. At breakfast, I make a to-do list for the day:
- What do I need to do?
- What do I want to do?
- What will give me satisfaction?
- Who do I need to reach out to today (while social distancing)?
- What will give me a sense of accomplishment (big or small)?
And during the day I check things off. Sometimes I even find myself doing things not on my original list, and I “add” them just so I can check them off too (ha!). By the end of the day, when my head hits the pillow, I feel like I have used my 24 hours well, while sheltering-in-place. It’s a great feeling!
My friends, Structure creates Action. Action creates Accomplishments. Accomplishments create Happiness. Happiness keeps us Healthy. And Healthy will keep us safe until the world is back on track with a sense of order and ownership.
So until then, just keep the FAITH!
F = Find
A = Assurance
I = In
T = Trusting
H = Him