I just got back from a work trip to Chicago, and now I’m staring down the barrel of a week’s worth of emails, to-do list items, and chaos. I had a small panic attack this morning until I remembered my thinking ritual. It’s a morning routine that keeps me out of anxiety land. If you ever feel overwhelmed by work, hopefully, this helps you as well.
Create a Reading and Thinking Ritual
I had to decide that my books and my writing were not activities I would “get to” if I had the time each day. By choosing to make them a non-negotiable part of my mornings, I shifted away from being a hopeful reader to a reader.
After making that decision, I built a simple routine to support it. Simple is important here. If you’re reading and thinking practice are complicated and require too many variables, you won’t find it restorative.
First off, I don’t run the routine immediately. I spend the morning with my kids, loving them and wishing them well before school. I also use that first 1.5 hours to get myself ready. A shower goes a long way to clear my head. No coffee yet, that’s important. I prefer to wait until I’m with my books so that I get the added boost of clarity. I like the low-key, focus-on-love approach in that first part of my day.
Then I drive to my office with an audiobook in my ears. This part of the practice seems to get my head ready for thinking and protects me from worries. Without the audiobook, I tend to check my emails and stress about work.
Once I get to my office, I make some coffee and read critically for thirty minutes. I may only get through one page because I’m taking detailed notes and thinking, or I may get through 20 pages because I’m enjoying some light fiction. Either way, I wrap my hands around the hot mug, crack open the notebooks, and think about ideas important to me. Then I take that energy and write out what I want to accomplish in my life for that day.
It’s a simple routine, but it keeps me centered. I think the most important part of it all is giving myself the space to think about what I’ve read.
Tell Me About You
If you decide to create a similar routine, or you already have one, I’d love to hear about it. Drop me a comment below. Why is making reading and thinking a priority in your life so important? Until tomorrow, read slowly – take notes – apply the ideas.
-Eddy
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