Fat Free Friday: The Power of Routine

I took a break for a couple weeks because I didn’t have much progress to report. A couple pounds up then a couple pounds down and so forth. For the first time, I feel like my body has given up on the idea of losing weight before my will power has.

As I seek to figure out why that is, I’m currently confronting one of my strongest enemies. Routine.

Routines can make or break you.

For me, this is what a perfect routine would look like. I’d wake up before the sun and go out for a run (or let’s be honest, a fast walk). I’d return to a cup of coffee and enough time to read my Bible while I drink it. After work, I’d cook a healthy dinner. Once I took care of some things around the house, I’d sit in my office and get some creative writing done. Then I’d cap off the day with some more time with God just before I go to bed.

I’m not going to tell you what my actual routine is, but let’s just say, it’s not all that.

I think of a dialogue in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean films.

Elizabeth: “…and there will come a moment for you [to do the right thing].”

Jack: “I love those moments…I like to wave at them as they pass by.”

That’s what I’m doing. At this season of life, God has blessed me with time to myself that I could be using for good habits and healthy choices, yet every day, I wave as it passes me by.

I say this a lot, but I know it has to change. Never in my life have I found it so difficult to actually enforce that change though. Hopefully, recognizing it is the first step.

The next step is to make a list, set alarms, delete apps, and do whatever it takes to reshape my routine.

I’d love to know what your perfect routine would look like if you haven’t already mastered it. Maybe you think that the perfect routine doesn’t even exist. Let me know in the comments.