by Lydia Makepeace

I’ve been away visiting family in New Orleans for the past two weeks and am still getting back into my old routine. (Phew! The mountain of emails in my inbox was exhausting.) I just wanted to check in and say, “Hello, I’m back!”

Vacations and breaks from our daily routine are important and restorative, but there’s no denying that our routines are a comforting kind of “home” in their own right. A good routine allows you to set goals and work towards them day by day. A thoughtful analysis of your routine can reveal much about your values and priorities. What activities do you devote the most time to? What are the most important items on your daily to do list?

I am often easily overwhelmed by all that I want to accomplish and think I should be doing. “Should” is a dangerous word for me. It creates unreasonable expectations and leads to useless and harmful guilt. To combat all of the daily “should thoughts” I sat down and wrote my top 3 daily priorities then posted the list to my studio wall. When the “should thoughts” creep in I look to see if I’ve accomplished those top 3 priorities. If I have accomplished those priorities in some form that day then I know it has been a good day and that I have accomplished what truly matters to me. It’s a good feeling!

What are your Top 3? Leave a comment below, I’d love to hear about them!