I heard one man describe habits and routines like a jig. Wikipedia states, "A jig's primary purpose is to provide repeatability, accuracy, and interchangeability in the manufacturing of products." A jig has to be carefully measured and set - and occasionally readjusted for new products. This involves a lot of work. Much like establishing habits and routines, which take motivation, commitment, and even discomfort to establish. Yet once set (established), the work involved in production (life progress) becomes much easier and quicker. Less time is required for the prep work of measuring and so on, providing more time and energy for increased production. Habits and routines are the jigs for life, whether in areas of finance, fitness, family, organization, business, etc.
I've noticed habits, routines, and accountability (be it a person or a spread sheet) are common themes in leadership and success. As a person who worked many years as a stay at home (homeschooling) mom - and now as a part-time stay at home wife - my jigs have been a bit different from many of the people I've gleaned from. Yet there has been great value all the same. To this day I continue to adjust my course - set by my jig - in hopes of bringing my best I have to the table. My personal motivation is to live my life consecrated to God's purposes and glory as I seek to make my short life count on this side of Heaven. Regardless of motivation, most people want to live a life that matters.
To develop productive jigs of individual habits and routines requires focused self-assessment - for me, in the form of thought and prayer. It seems this is rightly necessary for me at every change of season in my life. This summer was one of those change of seasons, as we are now truly empty-nesters and only a few years away from my husband reaching retirement. A jig can be formed from the basis of one's total resources (talents, knowledge, personality, season of life, finances, etc.) and heart-felt desires - things that bring meaning and purpose on an individual level. They may fall easily into place or require initial resources (work and practice) to even begin. For example, when we were first married, I was a lead preschool teacher of 3 year-olds. At that time it fulfilled our financial needs. It also unknowingly prepared me for homeschooling as it further developed my teaching skills.
I have many interests. I have some talents. I am interested in art, in photography, in herbs, in baking, in foreign cultures, etc. My interest in these topics has caused me to have a novice level of knowledge about them. However, I have varied increased levels of talent, education, and experience in writing, in teaching, in speaking, in gardening, in music, in health and holistic wellness, and in being a disciple of Jesus. From the second list I have prayerfully formed my core purposes. And from these purposes I have developed my daily routine and habits: My jig.
Therefore, when I get up in the morning, I generally know where I believe my resources of time and energy are to be spent. I will spend time with God. I will complete stewardship care over our home life - my husband's lunch, feed the pets, clean up, and practice God's Presence. I will practice guitar, tend our yard, exercise, and hopefully touch base with at least some of my loved ones near and far. I will continue to declutter and organize in plans of making our lives more free for future good work. And so on. These routine to-dos have their roots in my core purposes - such as being a good steward over the gift/talent of music, including my guitar. It was a wonderful Christmas surprise from Darren and I have a talented and kind instructor - my Grandad! Each item of my jig of "repeatability and accuracy" enables me to keep on course. I don't need to spend energy thinking about what I'm going to do or what comes next until those most important things are done. And I will purpose to avoid distractions until I do - unless a more important and immediate need arises.
What struck me the most this week however, was the last word in Wikipedia's descriptive definition of a jig: Interchangeability. Like a restaurant with an unexpected crowd during a snowstorm, the past 10 days have been filled with atypical and infrequent responsibilities and happenings - some wonderful and some challenging - all totaling: More than normal. In such times I find the word, interchangeability to be sanity-saving. Among the atypical or infrequent items were: my monthly guitar jam, a doctor's appointment, our dog's annual vet appointment, and 3 vet appointments with our cat (who nearly died from a staph infection and has needed to be hand fed since.) Also the other cat brought in a chipmunk which I spent nearly an hour attempting to catch before it ran down a vent - hopefully on its way to the basement door going outside! In addition I got very good news on Tuesday in the form of a new job as a Wellness Coordinator! I am very thankful and excited about it! This added to the atypical items in the form of paperwork, a physical, and a meeting with Human Resources.
What I have found on such weeks (or seasons - like one December when our family was sick the entire month) is that my purposes remain constant but the changeability to adjust my habits and routines enables me to progress in those purposes. (To me, this is part of the workings of God's sufficient grace.)
My husband, Darren, taught me a great deal about this in the early years... When our children were ill it would often takes weeks before health returned to all of the members of our family. After a week or two I would often become discouraged and overwhelmed by the mounting number of missed school lessons, piles of laundry, and number of fast food meals. Darren is gifted in putting things in perspective (one of many reasons he is an accomplished teacher.) He would point out the obvious yet unregistered fact that our children were sick. He would point out that they would eventually get well. Then he would point out all the vital things that were still being done and all the ways I was accomplishing my purposes. I wasn't teaching the children math, but I was teaching them compassion. I wasn't making meals, but I was giving cuddles. We weren't learning grammar, but we were reading classics while they sat wrapped in blankets on the couch or floor in their pajamas. And slowly but surely health and daily routines would return.
This past week I didn't take the time to water my flowers. Some of them died. But, thankfully! - our cat lives. I exercised half as much as I normally do yet one night I as doing crunches after 10:30 pm because I had been sitting so long that day and felt "off." I felt so much better (!) after less than 10 min. of movement. Another night I was short on time and motivation so I pushed myself to practice guitar for only 15 minutes. I told myself I would be glad just to get my fingers moving on the strings and to play whatever I felt like playing. I ended up trying, and succeeding, in picking a song (Wildwood Flower) I've never picked before and later in the week had one of my best jam "performances" ever. If this all sounds ridiculous, let me say, I have had years of practicing to practice. I have had years of growing to understand how utterly dependent I am upon the daily "bread" of my Father's help and wisdom and energy. I have put prayer and practice into establishing my jig so that even at 10:30 at night it is sometimes easier for me to do things that I used to struggle with at the beginning of the day. (And again, note the season of an empty nest.) As for the late night items this week, these are things I truly enjoy - though much more before 8pm. Furthermore, I have experienced many of the pay offs of practice, often making the hard work easier to swallow. Finally, let me add that this week I also made the poor choice of buying (and opening) a large bag of candy corn (while hungry!) and I ate far too much of it! There is no positive spin on that. Not every moment is one of success or wisdom. Still, I'm grateful for the resources I've been given and the many blessings I received this week.
I'm sharing all of this because interchangeability provides for the production of varied rates of progress according to life's variable circumstances. Interchangeability helps silence perfectionism, criticism and defeat. It allows for adaptations of habits and routines while promoting grace and kindness towards ourselves - while simultaneously calling out not to make excuses but to find a way.
Not every week is a marathon (thankfully!) but some weeks are. People who begin saving or giving often find themselves faced with unexpected bills that month. People who begin a diet often get to work to find someone brought in donuts that day. Maybe the exercise plan calls for six days a week and on day six someone unexpectedly has a need that fills that allotted exercise time. Call it spiritual warfare or lessons in perseverance, there are going to be challenges to the jig. My thought? Every journey has mountains to climb and detours to navigate.
… Seek out, find, and listen to every voice that tells you to keep going. And add your own.
Mark 6 Excerpts starting at verse 38: "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see."
...they said, "Five - and two fish."
...Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks... They all (5000) ate and were satisfied...
Mark 14:6b & 8a " She has done a beautiful thing to me... She did what she could."
Colossians 1:29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
Comments