Day 19: Fitting it all in

Whenever I go away on a trip, it becomes pretty obvious how much of a routine person I am. One of the things that I like about a good routine is that it supports me in getting stuff done. I try to walk and/or work out every day. I have vitamins and medication to take in the morning and the evening. I like to write every day. I journal in the morning. I do Wordle and Spelling Bee. I need to floss my teeth!

It’s a ridiculous list of things and when I add it all up, a good 3+ hours is consumed by these things. I forgot I call my mom every morning!

As I get older, it seems my daily maintenance list grows.

This week I’ve been waking up looking at the ocean from my bed. If the tide is out, a trip down to the beach replaces something I would normally do. A friend stayed over one night, and so breakfast was leisurely and more lengthy than usual.

I’ve missed exercising, taking medications, flossing my teeth, writing and journaling. It’s all gone out the window. After 3 days, I am already feeling stiffer, and today I may need to let the beach wait while I do a 30-minute stretching routine.

I am sure if I was here longer than a week, I would establish some sort of rhythm. For now, I’ve decided to hold the routines loosely. I’m doing the bare minimum. Today I may just do a 15-minute workout.

I’m learning all the time to let go of things and be more adaptable. Part of growing wiser is recognizing what can wait and what is truly important.