Routine Refresh

back to school, b*tches!

I’ve been out of school for five years now, yet I cannot shake the excitement that early September brings.

Nothing compares to the feeling of preparing for another school year. (I LOVE me a supply list and a #2 Ticonderoga pencil!)

But since wrapping my formal education, I’ve focused less on the trip to Target (only a little) and more on the opportunity to reset.

I think because 1. I’ve spent most of my career in higher ed and 2. my birthday always fell a few days before the first day of school, I perpetually operate on an academic calendar.

But honestly, I’ve come to prefer September over January as a time to set and review goals and routines.

Here are some of the ways I do just that.

Revisiting your routine

My instinct as a Virgo is to live by a very set schedule. That was easier to do while in school, but once I was done, I realized I didn’t have to stick to that; I could develop something that really worked for me and my energy levels. It took awhile to abandon rigidity for flexibility, but it’s been well worth it.

Case in point: my wake-up time. How many headlines do we see that read something like “Become a CEO by waking up at 4:30 everyday?” I used to equate success/togetherness/adulthood with an early wake up. (And I tried hard to do this! But that ended with many, many snoozed alarms.)

I won’t deny I love checking things off my list first thing, but for me, it feels just as good at 7 as it does at 5 (better, even, because I’ve gotten the 9 hours I absolutely need!). Once I stopped forcing and really listened to what my body needed, I naturally starting living something that was consistent yet adaptable.

Here’s what I’m sticking to this fall:

7:00AM – Wake up

7:15AM – Move, meditate, and prepare for the day

9:00AM – Start work

12:30PM – Lunch break

1:00PM – Work

5:00PM – Hard stop for the workday

6:00PM – Dinner and evening activities

9:30PM - Read

10:00PM - Lights out

Checking in on those Q4 goals

When I sat down to outline my 2023 goals, I decided to take a different approach to see how it would work.

I only set a handful, and kept most of them high-level on purpose:

• Be present

• Prioritize health

• Read at least 26 books

Simple, but not necessarily easy.

In previous years, it was harder for me to feel like I was making progress when I had 15+ very specific goals laid out in a season where I didn’t feel like doing a damn thing.

With this year’s approach, I’ve been more easily able to sit down and reflect on what making progress against these goals looks like in any given season.

This fall, that looks like continuing to crank through my ever-growing “to-reads” list logged on Goodreads, doing a Peloton meditation and workout class most mornings, taking a walk in the evening, eating lots of in-season produce, and getting enough rest.

Cleaning up your workspace

Remember in grade school when we cleaned our desks with shaving cream at the end of the year? We may have swapped it for wood-safe wipes and furniture polish, but the need still stands.

Tidy your space. Do a deep-dive into the drawers. Get rid of all the dried pens, old receipts, used notebooks, and rogue staples. Stock up on printer cartridges and supplies that make you feel happy to do your damn job!

(Don’t forget your digital spaces, too. CLOSE ALL THE TABS. Audit those bookmarks and desktop files. Get your calendar in order.)

Back to school shopping

I always loved our annual trip to the outlets for the new school year essentials: jeans, sneakers, white tees, the lot.

I admittedly don’t always wait until September anymore to do big shopping hauls, but I particularly love preparing to dress for fall. Take stock of what you have and what you need (ICYMI, some tips on that here) and go from there.

And, while you’re at it, treat yourself to some fresh supplies. Here are some of my picks:

• Custom stationery & address stamp (and little notes for the lunchbox!!!)

• A lunchbox (for my hybrid friends)

• Pencils & pens

• Old-school paper goods, including the best planner, a to-do list, notebook, and a notepad

• A Kindle (hands-down my favorite purchase of 2023. It’s helping me reach my goal!)

• A booklight for the hardbacks piled up on your nightstand (and a bookmark!)

• Some reads to set you up for success, including this one, this one, and this one (the last being the highlight of my week)

Have a great year! 🫶🏻