What do Beethoven, Mayo Angelou, C.S. Lewis, and Ben Franklin all have in common?
The first is the most obvious, they are all highly successful individuals that made a great impact on society. The second and not so obvious, is that they all consistently followed a strict daily routine. For example, Beethoven rose at dawn and wasted no time getting right down to work. His breakfast was coffee, which he prepared himself with great care, as he determined that there should be sixty beans per cup, and he often counted them out one by one for a precise dose. Then he sat at his desk and worked until 2:00 or 3:00pm, taking only an occasional break to walk outdoors, which aided his creativity. The day went on like this until he retired around 10pm each evening.
What does your daily routine look like right now? If you don’t have a set routine, what would the ideal routine look like? Perhaps you’d like to wake up early to pray and savor that first cup of coffee. Maybe it would be a healthy goal to practice unplugging by 8:30pm, or getting in some exercise and a certain amount of water each day. It takes discipline to stick to a daily routine, but the more it’s practiced, the easier and more enjoyable it becomes.
Discipline is like a muscle—you must train it, and if you stay the course, the reward is progress. Hard work and perseverance quite certainly pay off, but we mustn’t forget how to rest well too.
“Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”
— Dr. Maya Angelou
Dr. Mayo Angelou was a remarkable lady. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. She received dozens of awards and more than 50 honorary degrees and one key ingredient to the fruit on her life was her daily routine.
She stuck to a brutally disciplined daily writing routine and made no room for distractions, even going to great lengths to avoid distractions. She found herself distracted in beautiful atmospheres, so she would rent a drab hotel room for the day to work in, as not to be distracted by anything beautiful. Armed only with her notepad, thesaurus, personal bible, and a bottle of sherry until her work was completed. She also understood the importance of rest and ease, making room for it in her schedule.
There is much value in slowing down and starting each week from a posture of rest. Rest is an essential component to living a whole life. This is not only modeled by some of the most successful figures we know, but was first modeled by God in the sabbath. Learning to rest well is also a discipline to be practiced.
We know that routines don’t show up without hard work, but we must remember to carve out space to pause, enjoy the beauty around you, and wash the busyness off your weary feet.
Cheers to daily routines that bring forth abounding fruit in your life!
