Now that things in my life are falling into place again and I’ve gotten accustomed to a new routine, I have had ample time to re-focus on my hobbies involving Spirit Life and its related entrepreneurial efforts. What has also happened is an unexpected influx of inquiries  from busy people asking me how I have time to sleep for 8 hours every night, get all my work done, include self-care in my daily routine, explore new endeavors and still have time to relax! …It’s obviously because I do not have children.

Just kidding (kind of). The real answer is simple: motivation & a daily ritual. All of the most successful people in the world have one thing in common, and that is a morning and/or evening routine. This is because success does not come overnight; Success comes from a consistent commitment to the actions you take on a regular basis. I thought this would be a perfect time to share a glimpse of what a day in my life is like and share my top tips for optimal mind, body and spirit care and creating a fulfilling and satisfying daily routine.

6:00- The first and most important part of my day: meditation to center my soul and some mind work for my mental and emotional health, to prepare to embrace whatever awaits me in the day ahead. My mind work also includes gratitude, affirmations, visualization as well as daily prayers. In addition, I take the time to write in my journal/blog and organize my calendar and notes. This sets the tone for the rest of the day and allows me to remain present throughout the day.

6:30- After I take care of my soul and mind, it’s time to get grounded in my body, which I achieve by my workout. I usually do a combination of cardio and some resistance exercise for whatever muscle groups I am focusing on for that day. Aside from a 20-30 minute walk/cardio, I work out about 30 minutes every day. Several times a week I try to incorporate stretching and yoga as well as gymnastics and ballet/dance, but I will be talking more about my workouts in a separate post to come soon.

7:00- Get ready for work at my dream job which never feels like work at all. This is a self-explanatory part of my day consisting of a refreshing shower, changing into scrubs, and making my hair look semi-presentable. I love listening to motivational audio at this time.

7:30- Breakfast and responding to emails and messages. If I take the shuttle (most days), I eat breakfast at home. If I walk to work, I eat right before starting my workday.

8:00- Begin my work day with either a staff meeting or immediately seeing patients and writing my notes. I also answer messages and assist with any tasks around the clinic.

11:30- A full hour-long lunch break outside including nice 20 minute walk if I’ve skipped it in the morning. Other days I’m a bit more social and either hang out with my coworkers or use this time to respond back to calls and texts from family and friends.

5:00- Walk home, if weather permits- you never know in Houston! Because I am mostly sedentary at work, this is my favorite way to get a walk in besides my morning workout.

6:00- Cook and eat, finally dinner time! This is also when I clean up a bit and prep my meals for the next day if needed.

7:00- This is the free-time that everyone keeps asking about and which inspired this post in the first place. By this time, I have taken care of my mind, body and soul, connected with others, and gotten most of my work done…so I have some time to engage in my hobbies or work on my business and write a new post for you guys. But I am only human…so part of this time also ends up going to just lounging around listening to music, catching up on videos or television, or reading something that inspirational.

10:00- I have a very minimal evening routine so I’m usually fast asleep before 10:30 and this is how I get in those 8 hours of sleep every night while still maintaining everything else I want to do.

Like all routines for most people, I know that life happens and things don’t always go exactly as planned. For example, on Friday nights I go to prayer with family, Saturday I run errands and go out with friends, and Sunday I sleep in and either volunteer or have a lazy day doing absolutely nothing. Many times I am traveling or around a lot of people so it’s not always plausible to stick to a routine (besides, no spontaneity would be no fun!). But whatever I do, I make sure that I do not skip my meditation, try to be as healthy as I can, prioritize my work and relationship balance, and make sure that I leave time for self-care, even if only for a few minutes.

Most importantly, I try to remain flexible and not take it too seriously… it is excellent (and compulsory) to be motivated and disciplined if you want to achieve your greatest dreams, but if your routine is different, or if you have children and then life is inevitable chaos, don’t be too hard on yourself- we are all doing our best and at the end of the day that is truly all that matters. Just incorporating even a few healthy habits into your daily routine will have you fast on your way to creating the life of your dreams.

“There are two types of pain in this world. The pain of discipline and the pain of regret. The pain of discipline weighs ounces and is temporary until you create a habit. The pain of regret weighs tons and last forever.”