The Rhythm of Life

This Rhythm is the way I live my everyday life.
Not every single day. Not perfectly every time. But consistently enough that it makes a real difference.

TL;DR

prayer → brain dump →organize →regulate → review → repeat

Step 1 - Imaginative Contemplation

First thing I do when I wake up is contemplate Scripture - no wait, scratch that.

We all know the first thing I do when I wake up is make coffee.
And then I do my Scripture contemplation.

I have some contemplation resources posted for you below, but I’ll add here that Fr. Timothy Gallagher is the supreme teacher on Ignatian Spirituality and he has a handful of excellent series on the Hallow app that are a great place to start.

Step 2 - Clear the Noise

As soon as I finish my contemplation, I put on a lofi playlist and begin what I call clearing the noise - which is essentially a straight ripoff of Julia Cameron’s tool from her book “The Artist’s Way” - Morning Pages.

Step 3 - Collect + Organize

As I write my pages, I put little⭐️ stars next to any tasks and→ arrows next to any ideas. I then copy any stars and arrows into my Daily Log.

Step 4 - Emotional Regulation

I will be adding specific resources in this section regularly, and my Instagram is a great resource for quick tools and activities.

Step 5 - Ignatian Examen

This is the last thing of the day comes about 6pm for me - when dinner has been eaten, all the big lights in the house have been turned off, and everyone else is either taking baths, watching tv, or reading books.

One more thing:

I used to hate the idea of a daily routine.

How boring.
I didn’t want to be boxed in. How could I know what I’d feel like doing that day?
And there’s no way I could actually do something every. single. day.
Right?

Well I’ve learned (and accepted) something recently.

Instead of viewing routine as either boring or limiting, now I see it as safety. Predicable can be boring, for sure. But it can also create stability.

ADHD and anxiety are such a strange combination because, on the one hand, I cannot be told what to do (even by myself), but, on the other, I’m terrified of a sudden change.

So a rhythm is what I’ve landed on.

It’s fluid.
It has structured sections, but malleable contents and timing.
I’m not married to it, but it does keep me faithful to the most important things.

So if you’d like some introductions and suggestions for each rhythm section, read on.