Make it a Year of Lasts

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In the April series, Build Routines that Build You Up, we’ve talked about how to create a stable foundation, so you have time and space for big goals. When my routine needed a major upgrade, I decided to do a quick cut by creating two categories. One side of the paper said, “More of This.” And on the other side? It was entitled, “The Year of Lasts.” (You can queue the scary music if you’d like.)

The “More of This” category was a snap. It is filled with people, places and things that help me be inspired, strong and solid. The “Year of Lasts” has situations I’d like to think are hitting my rear-view mirror.

Are Your Days a Furnace of Stress and Anxiety?

We often have an idea that success only happens by adding and doing more. But whatever you’re anxious about is what is really slowing you down. It’s like an invisible ball and chain around your ankle, getting heavier by the day. Rumi described the tension like this: “When I run after what I think I want, my days are a furnace of stress and anxiety. If I sit in my own place of patience, what I need flows to me, and without pain.”

Look at your routine and ask yourself, “What eats up my time and my peace of mind?” If you feel conflicted about what comes up, think of what you would say to a friend. Would you tell them to hang on to those stressors? Probably not. Instead, you’d use the soft skill of empathy and kindly suggest they release whatever is working against them.

For instance, your results will take a quantum leap forward if you make 2019 the last time you:

• Spend most of your time and cash trying to fix the latest family drama;

• Work to mend a relationship with the person who repeatedly broke your heart; or

• Tell yourself, My dream vacation must wait until work slows down.

5 Steps to Build a Routine that Builds You Up

This month, we’ve sparked awareness about how to create a positive routine. Here’s a recap of the five steps:

1. Hold on to the Right Things. Use critical thinking to determine whether you are basing your routine on healthy or unrealistic expectations.
2. Sort Your Day into Categories. Use three categories—Always, Sometimes and Occasionally—to ensure you have the right mix of activities.
3. Don’t Let the Middle Throw You Off. Replace perfectionism with a new mindset that facing uncertainty is a natural part of life. Luckily, the muddy middle is just a stage!
4. Keep Bad Habits from Going Viral. Remember that as you do one thing, so you do everything. So, nip bad habits in the bud before they accidentally spread to other parts of your life.
5. Make it a Year of Lasts. Prune your investments by sorting experiences into two categories: “More of This” or “The Year of Lasts.”

Sustainable results happen when you have a strong foundation. Act as the creative, wise CEO of your life—know what to pursue and what to limit. Don’t let a furnace of stress and anxiety become the boss of you!