5 Areas of my Life that changed because of Routine
Truthfully, I think CONSISTENCY & ROUTINE impacts and improves more than we think.
People often think of routines & immediately, it’s associated with a rigid schedule and no time for just, living life. However, I’ve found that because of a routine, I’ve had more time in my day, have found more joy in life, and have been able to build a business that has made life more doable.
I’m going to share with you 5 of the biggest areas in my life that have improved since having a routine and maintaining consistency in that routine. Now that’s not to say that the flow of the routine has been the same forever, in fact it’s changed quite a bit. Each time I had a life event, transition, or pivot, my routine had to shift right along with it. I’ve always been someone that’s focused more on what I am able to do vs. what I cannot.
1. Health
After my final surgery to remove my large intestine & place my ileostomy in 2018, I felt like I had a big awakening to how much I am in control of my health. While genetics and environment play a role, we are able to control more than we allow ourselves to believe and I wasn’t going to just settle with whatever life and my family passed on to me. Prior to my surgery, I had convinced myself that my audience needed to see how I could eat out and have fun & flexibility with my food and still get results you wanted. While I was proving it with how I looked on the outside, clearly my insides were telling another story. After being faced with gallbladder removal shortly after, I shifted my approach and focused more on how I wanted to feel than how I wanted to look. I won’t go through my entire “meal routine” (although you can see a lot of it on Instagram), but I will tell you that gaining consistency in the foods that I consumed and the movement that I committed to changed how I felt while aiding in healing my body. Because I could eat vegetables, juicing daily became something I committed to daily. Hell, I went on a cruise once for a week, sneaking on my juicer and 7 bundles of celery. I committed. Movement was a non negotiable as I figured out how to maintain those habits as I traveled and life pivoted. I focused on what I could do (when and what) and allowed myself to make the necessary shifts. On my travels to France, I packed my fitness bands & did daily workouts in every airbnb and hotel room I had. If it’s important to you, you will figure out a way to make it work.
2. Energy
I think a big reason for my consistent energy is the result of consistently focusing on my health. Usually people say: “if I had the energy, I could…” but I think that’s a bit backwards. “You will have the energy if you…” is the story we need to start telling ourselves. Period. Having a routine that feels good and one that is aligned with your bigger picture vision, is going to change how you show up in your day. With that change you’re going to sleep better, have better eating habits, move your body, slow down, and allow yourself to recharge in a way that has you waking up with more energy than you imagined. With boundaries in place, a routine will make you feel like you’re right where you need to be. I take intentional pauses throughout my day that allow me to prevent boredom, overwhelm, or burnout. My morning routine is structured to wake me up slowly and set me up for a solid day. My evening routine is the perfect wind down that helps me slowly turn off work and transition into parenting, then slowly into my night time self care. Combine it all and you’ve got the perfect energy cocktail.
3. Mindset
Routines help our brains conserve energy. In the book, You Are the Placebo by Dr. Joe Dispense, he says, “If your thoughts stay the same, your emotions stay the same, you will have the same actions, and be creating the same reality.” I don’t know about you but there was a time in my life where I realized I didn’t want to keep living that same day over and over. The overwhelm, the chaos, the unknown, the lack mindset, the limiting beliefs, it was all wearing me out and affecting how I showed up in most areas of my life. When I knew my health needed to become a bigger priority than it was, I knew my mental health needed to change also. I knew in order to change, I needed to grow. I looked up several books that resonated with where I was in life and I just made a commitment to start reading one chapter/day. When the thoughts became too much and my single mom/entrepreneur mind became too clouded, I knew I needed to start writing and journaling daily so I could start to make sense of what was going on between my ears. These two habits, quite literally, shifted who I was. I didn’t “have time” to read or journal, I made time. I looked at how my time was being spent and identified the spaces where these two habits could easily fit, and they became non-negotiable.
4. Parenting
Something crazy happens when you start to take care of your health, feel an increase in energy, and are on a healing & growth journey. Life, all around you, slowly begins to improve. I’m in no a parenting expert and a big part of me didn’t even want to include this little bit into the blog but I can’t deny that how I show up as a parent has been significantly impacted by how I show up for myself. I get questions every once in a while about parenting, how-tos, how-are-you-managing, type questions. My kids are now 15 & almost 17, and I think back to when they were littles, wishing I could trade those years and get them back. The truth is, this is the hardest phase of parenting that I’ve been through to date and the empty nesters in my world have told me that it’s not going to get easier for several more years. Haha! So - my focus is to be here, to be as present as a possibly can be. That’s hard for parents to do, especially juggling work, relationships, self-care, and other life responsibilities. Routine has helped me so much in this area. When my kids are home, I have my “mom-lens” on. I show up fully as mom. I’m not trying to work or allowing distractions from anywhere else, I’m there. When my “work-lens” is on, they’re usually not home and I can be all into work mode. Routine has allowed me to find when & where I need to be showing up fully in the role where I’m needed and when. My girls will be out of the house in a few years. For some of you, being an empty nester may feel like it’s lifetimes away. I’m here to tell you that it’ll fly by faster than you can even imagine. Creating a routine that allows you to show up fully as mom will be something you don’t regret.
5. Business
I’ve been in the entrepreneurial space for over 10 years now. As a single mom having gone through divorce, illness & surgeries, and life ups & downs, I’ve grown multiple, consistent, sustainable and profitable online businesses around my commitment to my wellbeing, my children, and my life. As I dove into the consistency & routine space, I realized how little I shared about my actual why or drive behind the consistency & routine that I have. When I think back to 2012, I had no idea what I was doing, like most people starting out. I had just began my entrepreneurial journey having just quit my job as a Phlebotomist. I had always juggled multiple jobs, lived paycheck to paycheck with a scarcity mindset, and accepted that my life would be just that: someone else’s. The first year of my new business was trial and error but I quickly learned that showing up consistently was the key to success. So many people get overwhelmed, experience paralysis, procrastination, or let fear take over - which is so normal, I’ve been there! Creating a routine that allowed me to have some direction, clarity, and focus, while my “work-lens” was on became my secret sauce. It didn’t matter if I was in the hospital, in divorce court, or taking my kids to after school activities, I had a designated time & place to show up for my business that felt right for where I was in that season of life and I committed to it. Because of that routine & commitment to consistency, I’ve built a business that 12 year old Raina wouldn’t have even believed possible. I’m the sole-provider to my two kids and will send them off to college (and beyond) because of the decisions I made for myself.
It started with health.
Then I saw the energy shift.
Then my mindset changed.
That affected how I showed up as a parent.
…And how I committed to the growth of my business.
If I were to listen to your story, I’d be willing to bet that you can’t afford to not have a routine.
