The rhythm of the day is something I often think about. We all want to have a smooth and predictable rhythm to our day. We get up, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, drive to work, and so on and so forth. That hasn’t been my rhythm for a very long time. Mine is more get up, write this blog, get the kids to the bus, drive the daughter to school, and work or something like it.
With the kids home from school or rhythm is a bit of chaos. It is already almost 7:30. As I sat down to start writing the first of our warning alarms went off. None of the kids are dressed, two of them and one adult are still in bed. This coming Monday is going to be torture. We are out of rhythm, and getting it back won’t be easy.
One weird thing that I do is refuse to get rid of my 5:00 AM alarm. I kept it during Covid because I was optimistic that we’d be that busy again when things were done. Well, things got done and we effectively moved ourselves to the office. We weren’t owner/operators anymore. We were much more on the owner side, and while we’ve both jumped back into the field at times it has never been to the tune of five morning visits and fifteen visits a day.
Yet, I keep the 5:00 AM alarm. It is part of my rhythm. I prefer to be up early and ready to go. You can imagine what waking up close to 7:00 does to me. It throws the entire day off. I no longer feel like I am easing into my day, but having it thrust upon me. It is a weird and unnatural feeling. It is a loss of control.
Having a morning rhythm and routine keeps everything in sorts. It gives you control to your day. After my father passed I looked at my messy bed one day and remembered how my father always made his bed. I asked him once why, you are just going to get back in it at night, and he told me that it was one thing he could control during the day.
You can’t control much in life, but you can control your own environment and keeping it neat and organized creates a sense of order and control in a world all too eager to pepper you with chaos.
David Huzzard Writes 