Tag Archives: holiday

Holidays and routines

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I know that the reason I fit my meditation, writing, and fitness regimen into my day is because I wake up early and because I have a routine that I maintain. In fact the idea of routine maintenance is normally a bit of an oxymoron for me because when I’m running my routine there is no maintenance required. My alarm goes off and my routine begins. No maintenance needed. No motivation needed… It all just gets done.

Then comes a holiday and suddenly the routines are out the window. Now I need to think about when I’m going do the things that I normally do without thought or effort. And since thinking, effort, and motivation are all required, it all gets a lot harder to do.

There is the running joke that if you need to get something done, give it to a busy person. Well, that sums up my routine tasks. Give me a small window and say, ‘All this needs to be done in this short time,’ and I get it done. Give me a whole morning to do the same, and it will take me all morning. Parkinson’s Law in effect: “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”

So now as I start thinking about enjoying my summer I’m also thinking about routine maintenance… something I normally don’t usually have to think about at all.

Happy Canada Day

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I’m not going to watch fireworks tonight.

I haven’t done anything uniquely Canadian.

I’m not wearing red and white, and I’m not waving a flag.

That said, I’m a proud Canadian. An immigrant who calls this land home. And at this time I feel uniquely free compared to living south of our border.

On top of that, I actually had a medical test today that would have cost me hundreds or thousands of dollars down south, and it only cost me $7.50 in parking.

No, I may not be celebrating Canada Day out in the open today, I’m only having a small backyard bbq with family. That doesn’t mean that Canada Day isn’t special… because it is.

To all the proud Canadians out there, Happy Canada Day!

The picture tells the story

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Friday was the last day of school, and while I had a good weekend before heading back in to work to clean things up, I felt very unmotivated. When I saw this image shared by a friend and coworker, I knew I had to share it too.

There is a saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”

Summer holidays always start very slow for me because suddenly I have time… the time that I said I wish I had, to do all the things I wish I could do. For me that’s more daunting than exciting. I have routines that automate a lot of the things I want to get done. Remove the routine, remove the automation, and suddenly everything takes effort, everything takes motivation, and motivation is harder to maintain than good habits.

So, I’ll go into a bit of a dip. I’ll struggle just to get the usual stuff done, despite having more time. Then I’ll adjust and it will all get better. But I’ve learned to give myself some slack and just slack off for a bit first. And that’s what this weekend was all about.

Officially counting down

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Report cards go out tomorrow and Friday is the last day with staff to end the school year… and I’m done! Yes, I’ll be in next week, and there’s a fair bit to clean up before it’s officially summer, but I’m feeling checked out.

Not much left in the gas tank.

It started in June, people asking, “So, are you counting down to summer yet?” I probably heard that question a good 10-12 times in the first three weeks of June, and I always responded with a version of ‘Not yet’. I was being honest, I am not really someone who counts down to big events until they are very, very close.

Well, ask me today and my response is, “Absolutely, I’m counting down!”

I’m ready for summer.

Shorter Work Weeks

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I loved having a 4 day weekend. It is long enough to make me question the 5 day work week. Who came up with that? And why do we still have them?

I don’t need regular 4 day weekends, but I’d love regular 3 day weekends, then add one more day on holidays.

Who else is ready to reexamine the work week? And while we are at it, I’m pretty sure student’s wouldn’t mind that schedule either. Maybe on average students wouldn’t miss as much school, and just as much work would get done.

It won’t happen before my career is over, but I hope that a 4 day maximum work week is something my kids get to enjoy.

Returning to routines

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I’ll be back at work this morning after our 2-week March break. I’m already enjoying that I’m back into my routine, writing and exercising in the early morning. It’s easy to get off track, and to upset routines when on holidays. I missed workouts, I spent evenings looking for times to write, and I didn’t always eat well.

I am realizing more and more how valuable routines are. Routines are ways to instil discipline and habits so that they are almost effortless. I know what I will be doing next, with no thought and minimal effort to get started. It’s that simple.

When I head into work, I’ll also fairly quickly find myself in a routine. I’ll order my day (barring too many unexpected interruptions) so that I prioritize my team before outside distractions. I’ll create a ‘To Do’ list of priorities, and I’ll also try to find things to enjoy along the way… be it a conversation with students or interactions with staff. In other words, I’ll follow my routines, but also look for some novelty.

There is comfort in routines, but there is also the use of routines to find efficiencies so that I can also do things outside of my routines. My routines are an important part of my journey, but they are not the journey.

The gift of gifts

Today is the first day of Birthweek. My wife doesn’t just get a gift on her birthday, she gets a little something every day of the week leading up to her birthday. This isn’t a family practice. My kids and I don’t get it, it’s just birthweek for my wife. It started when we were dating and has been a tradition for almost 30 years.

For me it’s pretty special. My wonderful wife buys almost all the gifts for family events. She even bought a couple gifts for herself for this birthday. But be it Christmas or anyone else’s birthday, she is the one buying a thoughtful gift from both of us.

My job is birthweek. A small card with a few kind words, a scratch and win lottery ticket (I buy 7 a year, just for this week), and a small gift each day, with a nicer gift on her birthday.

You might think it has become a chore after all these years. I will admit the small gifts can be challenging, trying to not overdo it, but also not just get something tacky or frivolous. But there is a gift in being a gift giver. There is the thoughtfulness of trying to get something for someone you know they’ll appreciate. And since my wife does the vast majority of the gift buying, this is my chance.

I don’t remember how it all started, but I’m grateful for my wife’s birthweek.

Afternoon rest

Well, I just flaked out for a couple hours. Thought I was going to head out grocery shopping and haven’t made it out yet. But today is the last day of the winter break and I’m grateful to be able to give myself some down time. My next 3 weeks are jam packed and so if I want to take a little afternoon nap today… well permission granted. 😀

My evening will include a bit of meal prep, and a bit of listening to my audio book. And an early bed time. Tomorrow will be a full day, in high gear, and the pace won’t stop. But today, I savour the quiet time, and enjoy the slower pace. That said, it’s time to get off the couch.

My focus on school begins tomorrow, and that will probably reflect in the topics I choose to write about. Afternoon naps will not be the topic of conversation in the coming days!

Motivation versus Routines

It’s definitely the holidays for me. The time is 10:19pm and I’m just starting my writing. I haven’t meditated yet, (and missed the last couple days), and haven’t worked out yet either. Why? I’m off of my routines and my morning habits are not getting done to start my day.

Although it was not a busy day, I did get some important errands done, and don’t feel like I wasted the day… but here I am feeling very little motivation to get a workout in. I will, but it feels like effort.

That’s the difference between good habits and routines versus motivation. When I have my routines set, writing just gets done. Workouts get done. Meditation gets done. Zero motivation needed.

But let my routines slip and suddenly everything gets harder to get started. And getting started is the hardest part. Some days I feel like crap and just go through the motions simply because that’s part of my routine. Some of those days continue to feel hard, but sometime the act of getting started is all I need to turn the day, or at least my mood, around.

Routines help me get started. No motivation required. And now it’s time to finish this and get started on my workout. I think I’ll do a walking meditation on my treadmill and that’s one less thing to have to motivate myself to do. The best thing I’ve ever done for my health and wellbeing has been the strict routines I’ve created to get my healthy living goals done. I just need to rethink how I maintain these routines over my holidays.

Family Gathering

Last year I overcooked the turkey. This year I baked the biggest bird I’ve ever cooked, weighing in at 25.8lbs, and it was cooked to perfection. All the food was delicious.

But more than the food, the company was great. Any time that we can bring family together for a meal is wonderful.

Feeling blessed today.