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

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 something recently. Instead of viewing routine as either boring or limiting, I now see it as safety. Predictable 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 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.

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 contemplate Scripture using Ignatian imaginative prayer — a method taught by St. Ignatius and beautifully explained by Fr. Timothy Gallagher. It's the anchor for everything that follows.

Step 2 - Clear the Noise

A straight ripoff of Julia Cameron's Morning Pages — and I'll never pretend otherwise. Lofi playlist, pen to paper, whatever's in my head goes on the page. As I write, I put stars next to tasks and arrows next to ideas. You’ll see why next.

Step 3 - Collect + Organize

⭐️ Stars and → arrows from my pages move into my Daily Log. Bullet journaling and David Allen's Getting Things Done are the two systems that have actually worked for my ADHD brain.

Step 4 - Emotional Regulation

Slow creative activities, journaling prompts, mindset shifts, movement — whatever helps you come back to yourself when the day starts getting away from you.

Step 5 - Ignatian Examen

Last thing of the day when the big lights are off and the house is winding down. A daily prayer practice from St. Ignatius to review the day, recognize where God showed up, and enter tomorrow with intention.

Want to go deeper?

The full Rhythm of Life course is coming January 2027 — a complete guided experience through all five steps.

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