Resetting Routine

Truth be told, I'm looking forward to next Tuesday. This is the day when my daughter goes back to school and our family schedule will return to, well, being more scheduled. This week, we’re in that liminal time all parents of school age children know well: post-summer activities, pre-academic year.
 
Still, I stick to my morning routine as best I can. For what it’s worth, I've broken down the most successful version of it, in case you too are ready to reset your schedule: 

1. Grounding (sitting quietly, looking out the window from my favorite spot on the couch, sipping my morning coffee)
2. Connecting to the sacred (meditating, contemplating)
3. Recommitting to my intention and mindset (journaling)
4. Writing out my schedule

The last element, though it might seem to be the least “yogic” of the four, is as important as all the others. In it, I list the flow of how I want my day to unfold, including approximate timings. It usually takes less than five minutes. 
 
If you have a job that creates this structure for you, you might not need to do this. But as someone whose work requires them to be self-motivated, it's crucial. It's not rigid and I don't always stick to it. I allow myself to shift and adapt to the needs of the day. 

A written schedule creates a framework that keeps you moving forward, focused, productive, and – most satisfying of all – that allows you to look back at the end of the day and feel a sense of accomplishment. It helps you strike that all-important yogic balance between discipline and freedom. It provides the structure within which tasks can be done with attention, creativity, and ease.

After all, yoga is a path of skill in action, right?