February was crazy. It absolutely killed in the way we were structured. We had 2 weekends at slam packed sports. Two work trips for my husband. And multiple add on shifts for me with deadlines for specific work projects. On top of that we all ended up with head colds, my daughter had the stomach bug and I ended up having it twice! We all have things in life that put us over the top. Schedules that are too full and deadlines bulging. Bills coming in faster than pay checks. A health crisis even. How do we create a system that brings us life instead of just more to do when we come face to face with this?
How do we get from “Have to” – to a “want to and get to” in our everyday? Where we aren’t holding on for dear life from one weekend to the next, or perhaps we are one vacation shy from a melt down, or one eye roll away from a fighting match? What is the difference that makes/allows some to run at full throttle without exhaustion and others doing the same have nervous breakdowns and. burn out? Americans statically take less vacation than our European counterparts and yet are not more active. But thats not what I’m talking about here.. What are the routines that anyone no matter how much yoga or $$ you have will burn you out and cause relationship sabotage? On the flip side of a chaotic routine you have the mundane. The automatic and even boring. This is where you fall asleep at the wheel of life, and dare I say, the spark of passion dies.
Think of the middle of Covid-19 pandemic, when there was zero shifts of routine, schedule or even scenery for months on end. People were going psychologically nuts from it. There is data to prove it. At the beginning of Covid-“19 (besides washing down our groceries) people enjoyed a different pace. Extra family time. Zero job commutes and the chance to catch up on house projects. Then we started creating patterns… patterns
of nothingness. Even for those who did not become ill, It became a very destructive time of routines. Mental illness went up, not down in this time…So what do you do?
My husband and I talk about swapping out your routine in your romantic relationship and igniting the spark of passion often. We wrote an entire book about it! And today I’d like to share with you how you do this individually, as a family, corporation or in any relationship! And it is simpler than you think. It is a one word switch.
Routines = rote work. Boring, rigid and strict. Repetition can create legalistic rule and law.
Rhythm = consistency with grace. It is creativity. What works for now. It is compassionate, restful. It is a changeable system that creates structure with peace. Rhythm looks different for everyone and must be re-evaluated often. While rules and routine can equal bondage to it.
If you are a slave to your schedule then perhaps you have fallen into the old thought of laws and musts. So as you think about grace and what God gives us through that, let me ask you a few questions:
- Do you believe you are a slave to your schedule?
- What grace has God given, that you aren’t giving yourself?
- What is no longer serving you but you are serving it?
- What Rhythm would spark passion and zeal for you today?
- What are you going to do this week to fuel Rhythm “over Routines?
This spring instead of creating another routine that you will fail at doing, Let us think of a Rhythm that will serve us well. Something that has flex and grace in it. That can shift to serve in the season you find yourself in now. So often in coaching sessions, it is in the transitions of life that we find ourselves stuck because we have caught ourselves in another routine that no longer serves us.
Q. What area in your life needs a better rhythm?
Ideas:
- Vacation.
- Date Night
- Kids bedtime
- Work/Play/Hobbies
- Spiritual Rhythm
- Mental
- Physical
- $$
- Friendships/social
- Silence/Noise
Creating Exceptional 