My Routine

In the previous post I mentioned my routine. It really has changed my life. I am a procrastinator, and like a lot of procrastinators, I found myself constantly consulting my feelings when deciding what to do. I wasted so much time and sabotaged myself in so many ways when I ran my day to day life like that. Now I try to run my life based on my predetermined routine and not only has it made my marriage better (because home is a peaceful place where Ross and I can relax and enjoy one another's company whenever he is not at work,) but I feel like it gives me greater autonomy from my feelings (anxiety, ambivalence, self-pity, etc.), which has always been a struggle for me. In case you are curious, here is my current routine. It is hardly strenuous, and I follow it with a reasonable amount of flexibility.

Weekly:

• Monday: Floors (this also includes dusting)
• Tuesday: Bathrooms
• Wednesday: Desk (mail, email, filing)
• Thursday: Bedding, menu planning, and grocery shopping
• Friday: Kitchen and catch-up (Meaning whatever I missed earlier in the week or something random like clean out the car or organize a closet.)
• Saturday: Family day
• Sunday: Faith day

Daily:
Wake up at 6:30, change the baby, get him a cup of milk and turn on the news. Make coffee and get dressed. Drink coffee, eat breakfast, check email and fb. Feed the baby. Put on baby show and water the plants. Start laundry and dishes. Get baby dressed. Make bed. Make husband's lunch. Sweep and clean up after cats. Put baby down for nap at 10am. Work on whatever the day's chore is and then spend the rest of the baby's nap reading or surfing the web. Eat my lunch and feed the cats at 11am. Baby wakes up at 12:30. Feed him lunch and then play with him. Put baby in stroller and go get mail around 1:45pm. If there are any errands to run, do it after picking up the mail. Around 3 o'clock give baby his snack, fold and put away laundry, and unload or load the dishwasher. At 4 I usually put him in his pack n play even though he rarely takes a second nap. He's cranky at this point and it seems to soothe him and give him some down time. 5pm baby eats dinner. I start dinner for me and Ross and then give baby a bath at 6. At 6:30 I text Ross letting him know dinner is ready and it's time to think about coming home (or that I was too tired to make dinner and he should pick up something on his way home.) At 7pm put Remy in pack n play with a sippy cup and put on a show to wind him down for bed. Put him in bed at 7:30. Pick up the living room. Relax with Ross. I usually leave the kitchen as is at night. Get myself to bed by 10:30.