Lloydy’s how to guide to living a good day (& therefore a good life!)
“...think of each single day as a single life. The man who has equipped himself like this, who has had a whole life each day, is free of care...” - Seneca
I personally follow a daily routine, I have for years. I do my best to include the following every single day & for the most part I do.
None of us is perfect after all...
In the morning plan your day. Prepare a list of things you have to do, want to do, and would like to do if you have time/energy left. Think about the potential issues that might get in the way, people you may encounter and what you can do about them. Do it so you aren’t caught out when confronted by events should they happen.
Always be kind, it’s free, because you can & you’ll feel good doing it. It’s a win/win, so why wouldn’t you help yourself & just be kind?
Be grateful, for the things you have right now, no matter how simple they may be. If you are genuinely grateful for what you already have, you’ll realise you don’t need anything much to be happy, it comes from within us. Happiness is a choice we can all make. Everything else becomes a bonus, a nice to have (not need to have) once you actually realise this. Also teach yourself to be grateful for the things you didn’t want to happen! The very thing you didn’t want right now could be changing your path for the better, none of us know at the time what the future holds. Thinking this way is far healthier & makes life a lot easier once it becomes a new normal way of thinking.
Read , learn & understand. Start everyday by reading, do your best to learn something new...remember a quote, a helpful tip or a fact. Learning opens your mind, & can change your perspective. I used to ask my kids after school everyday (to their annoyance) “tell me something you’ve learned today” when they came home before doing anything else. It’s amazing how it would start conversations about all sorts of things too, I started to learn the people they were becoming.
Take a moment to think about the ‘big questions’. What’s it all about? How big is the universe? How long will the planet be here? Big picture stuff stretches our thinking. It gives perspective on our lives and to day problems. Are they really an issue in relation to the big picture stuff?
Exercise as hard as you can for at least 20 minutes (an hour if you can). Stick to the basics, don’t over complicate it. “Do less better and keep doing it”. A healthy mind without a healthy body is out of balance. Life’s always flows better when things are balanced.
Take a moment to think about death! This isn’t as morbid as it sounds. No one escapes it that’s a fact & none of us know the amount of time we have, yet we waste so much of it. Realising this brings a sense of urgency, teaches us not to waste a single moment. We arrogantly think we always have time, when we don’t. “Momento Mori”.
Be mindful for as long as you can every day. Mindfulness has been hijacked by well meaning people. No equipment, audio recordings, fancy videos or meditation cushions are needed! Simply start paying relaxed attention to whatever you are doing...the simple things (surprise!) are best. Washing up, cleaning your teeth, sweeping the floor, cooking, following your breath, start to notice, you are noticing; bring your mind to the task you are doing & keep it there as long as you can. If it wanders off, no bother just catch yourself as soon as you realise and return your attention to the task. Practicing Mindfulness is free & is always there for you to do. Do it regularly and see how you start to master your own mind. By doing this negative thoughts will start to dissolve, life becomes calmer because you are. You cannot think of other things (any worry, upset, the past) if you are truly mindful of what you are doing. This very simple thing helped pull me out of a negative, circular thinking, habit I’d got stuck in.
Review the day. At the end of your day go back over it. Be honest with yourself, did you follow your routine, were you kind, did you speak & act well? Be brutal, we’re you a dick!? Hide nothing from yourself. What did you learn today, what could you have done better? Note things down, choose to change the things you don’t like. Take action don’t just think/talk about it, don’t make excuses & don’t let yourself down! Strive to be the best version of yourself you can be. Life is short remember so make the choice to live well.
Make a sleep plan. Go to bed at the same time, do the same things before sleeping, aim to have the same amount of sleep every night. Be consistent. Doing this will give you a solid base to work from. If you then decide to change something you’ll have a platform to measure any differences from. If it’s all random how will you know what works & what doesn’t work for you?
I can honestly say having a daily routine, like this one, has kept me going in all sorts of ways. Having ‘a constant’ to follow takes away undue thinking & stress as it quickly becomes routine. I think it gives purpose to everyday.
Be the best version of yourself you can be!
