I have a wild side.
Very occasionally it’s a good kind of wild, but more often than not, it’s less like a majestic pantheress slinking around the jungle looking dangerously cool, and more like a flea bitten stray dog living at the back of a kebab shop, with no scheduled walks and eating out of bins.
OK, so maybe it’s not quite that bad, but every so often I feel as if I have lost momentum with self-care and organisation.
I was talking about it with a friend at the weekend, and he said he felt quite relieved to hear me say I get like that at times.
I always try to let you know I’m just a regular human in these emails rather than a “5am Club” ice-bathing, fire-breathing, yoga-vegan”, but I guess my regular reminders about self care could lead you to believe I’m always effortlessly on my A Game.
I’m not.
And if I go on the slide, more often than not it’s because I’ve let my morning routine go out of whack.
When I’m on my A Game, I wake up, feed the dog, have a coffee/protein shake while I’m doing my journal, go to the gym, stretch, meditate, then get ready for work.
But some days are easier than others.
Sometimes I get interrupted by some kind of urgency, or I’ll find myself on my phone down a Google rabbit hole, meaning I half-arse my journaling, cut short my gym time, skip meditating and rush my usually calm shower, and end up skidding in front of my laptop to start work.
I still get my work done, but I don’t feel as if I’m getting the most out of the day, and it usually leads to more nonsense like overeating and sometimes having proper “f*ck it moments” and drinking alcohol when I would usually only save it for special occasions.
I’ve had too many days like that in recent months, and it’s resulted in a few pounds of weight gain, low energy and getting behind on my to-do list. For the avoidance of any misunderstanding, although a few biscuits might pass my lips on work days, I never drink before coaching calls (although I have made a joke video of myself doing coaching work whilst drunk for a friend, but it’s too foul-mouthed to put on general release!).
Kev and I have been chatting about why I’ve gone slightly wilder than usual lately, and there are various things that have been different in my life lately from studying for my hypnotherapy diploma to having a brand new grandchild, but really that’s just life and not a valid excuse for throwing my routines out of the window.
In fact, it’s a really good reason to double down and make sure I stay in a good morning routine!
I told my friend that this cyclical process has happened all my life - I’ll be really on it for a few months, then I’ll have a little slip and I’ll need to yank my metaphorical choke chain to get back on track.
I think it’s quite normal and human to have times when good habits slip.
If you’re feeling like that’s you right now, there’s no point in beating yourself up. You can only start from where you are now, so accept your current circumstances and make a plan to get back on track.
There is no better place to start than a great morning routine.
If you haven’t read The Miracle Morning yet by Hal Elrod, then I suggest you do. You can adapt his suggested routine to suit your own time budget, but it’s the “doing mornings on purpose” discipline that sets you up for a really good day.
And a few good days make a good week.
And a few good weeks make a great month.
Etc, etc…
So, over the last few days I’ve gone through the process of unwilding myself and had a metaphorical flea bath, eaten healthily, made a conscious effort not to pick up my phone too often, and taken myself around the block (holding my lead proudly in my mouth) for some meaningful exercise.
I feel tons better already. It only takes a few days to give you the feeling that you’re back on top again.
What’s your equivalent of unwilding yourself? Maybe this post can be your little nudge back onto a good track…