Routines and The Little Things in my [Little] Big City

Having endured - no, adored - my first 90 days as an official resident of my new city, I can happily reflect upon the things I’ve observed, learned and realized throughout my time here. On both the best of days and the most homesick of days, I’ve begun to see the best of my routines revealed to me... little by little. 

In the years since graduating from college and while living between West Hollywood, Newbury Park and now the Bay area, I’ve slowly toyed with the question of what makes for the perfect day, the ideal weekend - the best kind of week? These ideas have evolved and somersaulted through the different periods of the past three years - in times of work and during weekends of play, in both my former retail realm and my now more regular, corporate lifestyle. 

A dear friend and new colleague at LinkedIn, Stephanie, recently posed her wisdom regarding the need for both spontaneity and routine in her “perfect day” - a juxtaposition to which I whole-heartedly relate. While I love me a good ol’ to-do list - one can also cause me a degree of anxiety. What I took away includes that the only way for me to achieve a healthy and balanced rendition of a day is to create patterns… with wiggle-room. Therefore, the current draft of my personal recipe for an ideal day is encompassed by the Magic 8 below. 

1. Wake naturally + enjoy coffee
2. Run… or otherwise exercise
3. Complete a productive, professional accomplishment
4. Read [something]
5. Write [anything]
6. Meditate or enjoy “me” time
7. Share with one good friend
8. Catch up with family

On a rare day upon which I enjoy some token of each of these eight pillars, I find that I am the most energized as well as fulfilled. Some days I pencil in time for each activity; on others, I simply stumble upon great opportunities to indulge in a few when I've least expected to, like on my bus ride home. This list is a work in progress; as am I, constantly “under construction.” Regardless, I find that taking that last and ninth hour of my day to acknowledge and appreciate those small moments? This is what truly fuels my fulfillment. 

Sometimes amidst a large life change, it’s the little things that keep us feeling encouraged, hopeful… and less alone. :)

Last work week’s Magic 8

1. Meeting the train as it reaches the platform after a race with time down the crowded elevator
2. Grabbing the last open seat at the back of your evening bus
3. Crossing items off your to-do list on Friday afternoon
4. Attending an office happy hour on Friday afternoon
5. Wearing a costume to the office on a Friday afternoon (and not only on Halloween!)
6. Stealing snacks from the lunchroom at 2 o'clock each afternoon... And 4 o'clock. 
7. Running into a college friend in the office -- or a high school friend in the office!
8. Running into old college friends at a bar in your new neighborhood - because this "big" city isn’t really big after all

This weekend’s Magic 8

1. Seeing the tiny, lit-up green man encouraging you - not to walk - to keep running! “You can do it!"
2. Jogging three miles from the Financial District and landing in one of either foresty oases Golden Gate Park or The Presidio
3. Jogging five miles and, suddenly, spotting the watery horizon formed by the Pacific! 
4. Walking to Target three times in the same Saturday… just because it’s close enough and you could always use one more thing
5. Finding a childhood fave (i.e. Hocus Pocus) for $8 in the holiday movie section - on November 1st.
6. Sleeping in on a Saturday, and sleeping through the less frequent buses passing by your bay window
7. Falling desperately in love with the yoga studio that is mere steps from your apartment
8. Conveniently falling in love with your two closest-proximity work friends over a cozy weekend, and realizing you are working where you were meant to be