The Morning Ritual

Yeah, it's been awhile.

Moving right along.

It's always nice to find a concept that fits something in your life so well. I've found myself struggling over the past few weeks (er, months..) to regain some control over my day. Trying to find a way to accomplish all that I want to and end each day feeling a bit less like something like a failure. Then it happened last night.  I was writing (make that the dreaded editing) in the living room and idly noticing some random interview on O's Super Soul Sunday that my roommate (we'll refer to her as Fergie from here on out) was watching.  At the end of the interview, and I guess this is typical for the show, some sort of mini-segment came on all about morning rituals.

Talk about a light bulb. Okay, I know it's not a novel concept, or even a uncommon idea. But that makes it no less of a light bulb to me. Because it was exactly what I had been searching for.  And naming it seems to have made a world of difference. A simple list of things to do every morning. Focal points, dare I say.

Just the idea of the morning ritual soothes me and that seems to be the first step towards feeling back in control.  I am fully aware and accepting of my need for control.  And feeling so not-in-control of my ability to accomplish during the day has slowly been driving me insane. The morning ritual can be the pattern that sets my day off in the right direction. A set of actions, activities, and nourishment that puts me on a productive path for the rest of the day. No longer walking out the door (or heading to the couch) for work and feeling like I've already wasted an hour or more of my day.

So honing in my morning ritual is my task for the week.  I specifically refrained from saying "perfecting", because that's an overly ambitious, impossible goal.  I think it's important to paraphrase Fergie's wisdom from last night here: the morning ritual will and should change as often as you want or need it too.  There's no hard and fast line.  I'm searching for the pattern that serves me best right now. That may change when the season changes, if my job or work schedule changes, as my fitness level changes, etc.  Flexibility, my dear folks.

And last night I focused on, what I think, is an integral part of the morning ritual: the nighttime ritual. Because it seems important. Reflecting on the day, which gives a moment to appreciate as well as monitor the success of the morning ritual.  Making the necessary preparations to make the morning ritual work smoothly.  And hopefully settling into a nighttime pattern that facilitates more sound sleep.  A full night's rest certainly seems essential for the success of the morning ritual.

The morning ritual.  Like a child, I crave the structure.  The morning pattern and the nighttime pattern, serving as bookends to the daily rhythm of my life.