Surprise!
An invitation to change things up.
Surprise! Hope you had a great week! For those of you who are brand new to The LIFT, you won’t understand why this note is such a surprise. For long-time readers, you know that last week I announced I was going to be taking a hiatus from my weekly publishing schedule for the summer to make room for a new project.
Well, during my extra time this week working on the project, I had a realization + had to come share it with you.
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THE VALUE OF INTERRUPTIONS
I’ve shared before about the power of routine. Routine is actually not something that comes natural for me. I’m more of a ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ sorta gal. But, life has taught me the value of routine.
When you can put the important things on ‘auto-pilot’ it eliminates a lot of stress + frees up energy + time for more creativity.
That said, routine can also squash creativity if you’re not careful. So, it’s a dance, for sure.
I created + shared a reel on Instagram this week of my green smoothie routine, which got me thinking about routines + habits.
When I posted the reel, I polled my friends + followers to see who drinks a green smoothie religiously versus who does it sometimes + who hasn’t tried it.
The response? Not one person claimed to drink green smoothies religiously.
This is surprising to me because out of all of my healthy habits, this is the one that I truly feel gives me the biggest bang for the buck. My health simply wouldn’t be the same without the benefit of these extra veggies + fruits.
If you want the full recipe, check out my Instagram post or you can also see the recipe on my website. This smoothie not only tastes great, it improves gut health, increases energy + will help your immunity. Definitely give it a try.
Back to routines, though.
I only drink this green smoothie Monday through Friday. The same is true for my exercise program. Monday through Friday, I have my exercise routine, bedtime schedule, wake up schedule, smoothie, oatmeal bowls, etc.
On the weekends, I let my routine go. Saturdays + Sundays are more of a free for all.
Honestly, that weekend break is probably the secret to my being able to keep my healthy routines over time.
I always look forward to Monday because I get back to my routines. That Monday smoothie is always the best one of the week!
If I was doing the same routine every day, I would get bored. I wouldn’t fully recognize the value of my good habits.
As they say - “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
I normally write The LIFT on Wednesdays. As I shared, I wanted to open up that time in my schedule to work on my new project. And, sure enough, it was great. I got SO much done this week. Having that extra time was magical.
But, like any healthy routine, just letting it go for a few days was enough to make me miss it! So, here I am. On Saturday. Writing to share these thoughts.
I hope that sharing this perspective might give you permission to do the same in your life. Shake up your routine. Step back for a moment. Zoom out. Take a break. Give yourself permission to break your own rules + change your schedule.
It just might stir up your creative juices.
Speaking of juices - and green smoothies - my schedule shuffle this week made me realize how I can have my cake + eat it, too! (Don’t you just love all of these food analogies! LOL)
Instead of a complete break while I work on my project, I am going to bring you some of what I’m working on, so you can be behind-the-scenes + learn along with me.
This week, I outlined an entire summer wellness series + I’m going to be bringing pieces of it to you here at The LIFT starting Memorial Day weekend + running throughout the summer. It will be a nice change of pace both for me AND for you!
What do you think?
Until then, I have a special Mother’s Day post for you next week. And, the following week a little round up to help you prepare for summer.
Then, our summer wellness series will kick-off. More details soon!
Until then, check out your mission for the week.
YOUR MISSION:
This week, I challenge you to notice where you are being too rigid with your routine. Do you need to take something off your plate? Do you need to take a break? Can you zoom out enough to find extra time + space you didn’t realize you had? Can you have your cake + eat it, too?
IN SUMMARY:
I have never been more excited for summer! I am ready for longer, warmer days. Outdoor adventures. Summer vacation. A fresh new season + new connections. Let’s have some fun! Are you ready?
See you next week?
Meanwhile - you can read thru the archives here. And, please reach out to me anytime!
Email: karen@itmaybemenopause.com
Work with me: www.itMayBeMenopause.com
Instagram: @itmaybemenopause