Today, I’m thinking about 4 Rules for developing a consistent practice and focus for a few important projects. For many years, I commuted over an hour each way to work. Since the onset of remote work more than two years ago, my morning routine includes a walk with my husband and the dog, reading a bit of inspiring writing, and writing my morning pages (a type of journaling). In 2020, when my life circumstances changed, I jumped at the chance to update my routine. For years I had wanted more time in the morning to attend to my well-being.
And now, due to another life change, I find myself setting up a new routine – one that allows me to focus on three key areas: advancing in my writing, finding my next awesome role – and – enjoying the summer! These are the opportunities in front of me right now, and I do not take any of this for granted. I am fortunate to be able to even write these sentences. I intend to use this time well.
While recently reading The Great Spring by Natalie Goldberg, she writes about her lifelong relationship with meditation and Zen; it this piece, she outlines these guidelines for maintaining a consistent practice.
Rule #1: Keep a Limber Mind
Natalie writes:
“Over the years I have heard much instruction on how to meditate. Recently I listened to someone tell students that it is better to sit for five minutes every day than for an hour three times a week. I thought, That’s good advice. Then I smiled to myself. There are no prescriptions for a long relationship. Things change. Five minutes every day might work beautifully for three months. But then what if you miss a day or a week? Have you failed? Do you quit altogether? I hope not. But sometimes our minds set up stiff expectations, and when they’re not met, we drop the whole thing. This is just the opposite of softening the mind, which we hope will be the result of meditation.”
So maybe the first rule we should begin with, if we want meditation to be in our life for a long time, is: Don’t make a rigid structure and then chastise ourselves when we don’t live up to it. Better to keep a limber mind and develop a tenderness toward existence.”
In this piece, entitled A Long Relationship with Zen, and in her beautiful Natalie Goldberg way, she gives a few more instructions. These instructions can be applied to anything we want to have a long relationship with or create in our lives.
Rule #2: Structure
She continues: “But I also want to encourage having a structure. Perhaps this is the second rule: Structure is a good thing. It’s easier to return to something solid than to an amorphous intention.”
This is a consistent refrain in the world of writers – or musicians, or athletes, or anyone focused on building something – create a habit around the writing or practice so that you are able to drop into the work more easily. Our minds will try to trick us into slacking off. Of the endlessly creative ways our brains can manufacture excuses, you will recognize these traps:
- I don’t feel up to it today.
- I can’t focus.
- I have too much to do.
You may have heard of monkey mind. This is how it manifests. We think we can’t sit still. Having structure around the work can mitigate some of the distraction. Natalie says: “Structure helps support our urge to do it anyway.”
You might be asking – but what happens when our circumstances change? What if we are traveling or on vacation or have a new work schedule?
Rule #3: Be Creative and Flexible
Natalie: “Maybe the third rule, which includes the first two should read: Be creative and flexible at the same time you continue your [meditation] relationship.”
We don’t have to ditch the plan when things change, we only need to remember what we are seeking to manifest and adjust our routine to accommodate. This is the work I’m doing right now – adjusting my routine to accommodate the vision I have for advancing in my writing and seeking my next role while enjoying this gift of time.
Natalie then relates a story about a woman writer that had just won an award at the age of 70. The woman had given up writing while raising her son. She said she never resented the years away from writing, because she never stopped seeing as a writer.
Rule #4: Don’t Give Up
Natalie writes: “I always remember that conversation. Even if you can’t write, you can see the way a writer does, notice, take in, digest the details and stories of what surrounds you.”
She continues: “I think this is also true of a life of meditation. There might be periods – a year or even two – when we can’t get to the cushion, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up. This might be the fourth rule: We can still carry meditation inside, still see and feel as a meditator, but physically practice differently.”
These rules don’t just apply to writing or meditation. The things we feel are important to our lives deserve our attention, but not in such a rigid way that we can’t allow life in when it happens. Eating well, exercise, skill building at work, public speaking – there is a lot of opportunity here!
So, this week, I begin my new routine, keeping in mind structure, flexibility, and creativity in approach. Because this writing thing is very important to me, it comes first. I’ll protect this very sustainable hour every day. When that is complete, I’ll move on to my job search and the other items that need attention. Over the next several weeks, I’ll assess this structure and revise as needed.
At the Workbench | 4 Things
If you are struggling with building some consistency or focus in an area of your life, I invite you to the Workbench and to consider the following:
- What areas in your life would you like to turn some attention to? Pick one.
- Do a quick (or comprehensive) time study. For one week write down what you are spending time on. You will likely find a few windows of time available.
- What routine or structure can you create that attends to the item you want to focus on?
- Pick a time period and evaluate your routine. Revise as needed. (And let me know how it goes!)
One Last (Very Important) Thing:
One last thing – our optimistic minds want to set up stiff expectations, which we then can’t meet, which makes us feel we’ve failed. My original plan was to write for four hours a day. Ha! My brilliant husband talked me down (as usual) to a more realistic and sustainable cadence. I have committed to an hour a day, and know the chances of success and consistency are much greater. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Sending love and light!
Resources
- Book: The Great Spring by Natalie Goldberg
- For more on Morning Pages – see The Artist Within by Julia Cameron (Morning pages are the best!)
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