My Routine: The Autumn/ Winter Edition
Two jobs, one routine and why structure is important to my life
My summer routine was a hit, but tired season needs a new routine.
Some people said my routine was very disciplined, which I found funny because I put structures in place because I’m not disciplined. I’ve never believed in willpower, and design my days around the realities of how I am without judgment.
I learned a long time ago that if I set an alarm for early in the morning to go outside to exercise I just…won’t. This doesn’t make me a bad or lazy person, just someone who likes to ease into their day.
Society can be too puritanical. If we were all a bit nicer to ourselves, we’d get more done. We need to be realistic about what we can expect of ourselves (particularly during tired season) and not be harsh, or give up completely when we fail. Too many people are all or nothing when changing habits when imperfect execution is all we need.
Yesterday, I woke up later than usual and so did my morning pages during Writers’ Hour instead of before and that was fine. Today I woke up and did them at the usual time, also fine.
As
commented on my summer routine:‘It felt very freeing and relaxing reading it - unstructured structure of sorts.’
Which is exactly it.
The discipline that structure gives me is important to me as it’s related to my ambitions.
shared with me a quote from poet Carl Phillips:‘The only real catalyst for discipline is a desire for what discipline can lead to’.
Discipline isn’t a personality trait but something we can cultivate through the strength of our desires. When a reader wrote to me saying; ‘Dear Tiff: I’m stuck,’ I spoke about how important it is to reconnect with that vision of what you want regularly to spur you into action.
The busier we are, the more a routine is needed. It’s how we can seize back control over our time rather than allow our days to be decided for us. I could easily do nothing with my day, make no money and not be moving towards my creative goals. No one would care. I could easily just focus on my money job and ignore my creativity.
No one would care, but me.
When entrepreneur Grace Beverley came on the podcast I did with my bestie,
, she said:‘Productivity is self-care’
That’s never left me. Setting myself up for productivity within the confines of the reality of my being is a gift to myself. I love being in a state of flow and feeling like I’m moving towards my goals.
My break-up hit me hard and I’ve been frustrated with my progress this year. Creatively, romantically and financially, I’ve felt like a rickety boat drifting on an empty sea. However, I didn’t want to give up and let this year drift to a shallow close. I wanted to use these last two months to feel good about where I’m heading.
The year isn’t over yet.
The new routine needed to execute my desires while balancing the lower energy levels I have at this time of year. In winter, I go out fewer evenings, finish work earlier and wake up earlier, too. If my weekday evenings are busier than usual, I’ll keep my weekends quieter, so I can rest and recharge.
The routine also changes around my menstrual cycle. I need about two more hours of sleep a night during the week of my period and I get very tired in the afternoons and evenings during that week. I finish work earlier and avoid making social plans during this time, too.
We all have different peak performance times, but the question I asked myself was: how do I want to spend the two key hours of concentration I have in a day? I’m determined to keep writing, despite my recent wobbles, so writing is what comes first in my day.
I also recently realised: that not every day has to be the same. On Mondays and Fridays, I spend more hours recruiting than writing. Tuesday is always a big writing day. Mondays are for dreaming, planning and status update calls, while Fridays can be more of a wind-down for writing, but very busy for recruiting as more people are working from home that day so are available to speak with me.
But let’s get to it. Here is my routine…
7:20am: Wake up
I almost didn’t want to admit that this as I’ve been talking about waking up without an alarm since 2019, but now I set an alarm. The morning hours are so important to me, that I decided to implement this change.
However, nine times out of ten, I naturally wake up earlier than the alarm so technically, I wake up without an alarm, but the backup alarm exists and is occasionally needed.
7:30-8am: Morning pages
I make coffee, light incense, sit in my living room, and write three pages of stream of consciousness. I’ve now started reading them back once a month and it’s fascinating how the same issues come up time and time again. These revelations often shape my monthly planning sessions.
Once the pages are done, I eat my breakfast. I’m still eating my homemade granola, with Greek yoghurt and fruit, usually berries or passion fruit.
8am-8.50am: Writers’ Hour
I log onto Zoom (usually while finishing breakfast) and join the London Writers’ Salon. My number one piece of writing advice is to join Writers’ Hour and they’re dotted throughout the day, to serve an international writing community.
We say hello, an inspirational quote is read and we all write for 50 minutes in silence. The accountability to show up to the call is amazing and it’s insane how much writing I get done with 50 minutes of focused work.
It’s 9am and I feel good about my day.
9/9.30am: Mon/Tues/Weds: Exercise
Thurs/Fri: Write until 11am Thurs/ 12:30pm Fridays
Depending on the day and my state of flow, I may write for a little longer after Writers’ Hour, then either do a quick Peloton class (20-30 minutes) or on Thursdays and Fridays, I write until my Calisthenics class.
After exercise, I shower and usually have a second breakfast or a ‘snack’, which could be nuts and chocolate.
The endorphins are rushing through me at this time and I’m high on life.
10am: Mon/Tues/Weds: Write
Sometimes, I’m deep in the state of flow and nothing can tear me away from finishing a piece. Other times, I’m distracted, so write little. I may go for a walk depending on this and the weather.
As I’m still in my creative time, I allow it to dictate the mood and flow of the day. It varies hugely.
When hungry, usually 1-2pm: Lunch
On most days, I find it difficult to tear myself away from writing, so I’m often having lunch in a rush. Because of this, I try to make sure I have leftovers I can quickly microwave. This might be a pasta dish or beans, veg and grains. I’m still doing Zoe and tend to stick to it more closely during the week than during the weekends (see above about imperfect execution as good enough!)
2pm: Job number two begins
I am a self-employed recruiter who helps people find jobs at startups. I have calls, often back to back, which are a combination of client updates, selling new role opportunities to potential candidates, new business pitches and speaking to the team who support me.
I use Calendly for people to schedule calls with me, so I am always updating this based on my availability and try my best to condense the hours of calls as much as I can.
The busyness levels of this job vary hugely from day to day and week to week. It can be intense sometimes, but then also quite quiet. It’s also a people business, so there’s sometimes dramas ;)
ASAP can vary between 4-6pm: Finish work
On Monday and Wednesday evenings, I usually work until my yoga and handstand classes at 6.30pm.
If I go out on the other evenings, it’s usually to go on a date. Dating is draining so I try to rest beforehand if I can and may even watch a TV show if I have time. I also cook, so I can eat before I go out or have leftovers for the next day.
If I have a date: 7pm leave the house
If went to yoga: 8pm Shower and cook
9pm (if home): Camomile Tea, sofa and TV
I’m so tired after I’ve cooked and washed up that I make a camomile tea and head to the sofa.
I find TV so relaxing, although I’m very intentional in what I choose to watch and give it my whole focus and can’t be on my phone at the same time. However sometimes, I’m on my phone, so don’t get to watch anything - my rule is (I love rules), that I have to start a TV show before 9pm.
In summer, the evenings would be when I would catch up on messages and correspondence but I rarely have the energy to do that now so I’m very behind on my Whatsapps. I’m also prioritising replying to Hinge messages… which I’m also behind on.
10pm: Wind down
My phone goes into bedtime mode and I start getting ready for bed. I read until I fall asleep. The hours of this varely hugely.
If I’ve been out, I usually come home at this time and send debrief voicenotes about my date and then go to bed. I can feel quite wired after a date so go to bed later than usual.
Then I wake up with or without an alarm the next day and do it all again…
Since the new routine, I’ve been feeling more connected to my desires and confident that I’ll end this year feeling satisfied that my days were designed around what’s important to me. I’m constantly juggling my need for progress with my need for rest, and so far, this current routine is working out ok for me.
With love,
Tiff x
How has your routine changed for winter?
What are your key hours of the day?
Any other reflections? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!
That quote from your guest "Productivity is self-care" as a blanket statement really gave me the heebie jeebies! I think it depends what season of life you're in and what you deeply want/need at that particular time. In my head "accountability is self-care" feels better (and what I sense from looking at your week!) Might just be me -- always so interesting to see people's days! 😘
I love that your routine is guided by that strong sense of self-trust Tiff...ok to do your morning pages on waking, also ok not too. I’ve noticed this week I’m in a routine that has become detached from any ritual or true intention and just isn’t serving me...so it’s time for a reset. Also Googling Calisthenics classes in Reading!❤️