Tag: Lifestyle Adjustments

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Adjusting Life’s Schedule One Water Bottle at a Time

Written April 20, 2025

Hello, Dear Readers,

Today’s grand mission? Mastering the delicate art of pre-trip planning. My wife and I are heading out next weekend to visit my father, and while it’s not a cross-continental journey, it does require some finesse to adjust our usual routines. Because let’s face it—life doesn’t hit pause just because we want to hit the road.

First hurdle: the water delivery. It dawned on us a few days ago (with a dramatic gasp, I might add) that the giant jugs of water we rely on to survive modern life are due to arrive on Friday… exactly when we’ll be somewhere between “Did we forget the charger?” and “How many snacks is too many?” So we’ve decided to leave our empty bottles out and hope the new ones are dutifully dropped off and patiently wait for us on the porch. Risky? Slightly. But what’s life without a little suspense?

My wife, not one to let a logistical slip go without commentary, pointed out that we could’ve just scheduled an extra delivery last time. She’s vowed to keep closer tabs on the calendar next round. I’ve learned that when she says “next time,” it means she’s got a spreadsheet in the works already.

Now let’s talk about running—which, for once, I will not be doing. Since we’re leaving early Friday, there’s really no room to squeeze in a jog unless I magically become the kind of person who wakes up at 4 a.m. (Spoiler: I’m not.) My wife, ever the cardio queen, plans to get her miles in at 5:30 a.m. before we hit the road. Me? I’ll skip Friday and Saturday and deal with the existential guilt later.

Sure, I could bring my gear and run at my dad’s place, but that would mean more packing, less relaxing, and a whole lot of “Where do I go without getting lost or chased by geese?” I’ll probably consult my wife for a second opinion, but I suspect she’ll say something practical, like “Just enjoy the visit.”

As if water and workouts weren’t enough, my kombucha schedule is also feeling the ripple effects. I normally bottle on Friday nights, but unless the SCOBY wants to join us on the road (which, frankly, I’m not emotionally prepared for), that plan’s out. Thankfully, we’re close to the off-week in my brewing cycle, and since we won’t be home to drink it anyway, skipping this round feels like the least dramatic choice I’ve made all week.

With our routines more or less intact and the major chaos accounted for, it looks like this trip won’t throw our entire system off balance. A few tweaks here and there, and we’re good. Of course, I still have that sneaky suspicion I’m forgetting something… but isn’t that part of the pre-trip charm?

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How Small Changes To Make My Daily Routine Better

Written August 2, 2024

Hello Dear Readers,

Over the past few weeks, I’ve introduced some new routines into my daily life, including running and lawn mowing. While these activities are refreshing and beneficial, they’ve also presented challenges, particularly in maintaining my schedule. I’ve found it difficult to complete my tasks as smoothly as I would like, and it’s made me reflect on how we often need to make adjustments when we introduce something new into our lives. When you’re trying something unfamiliar, it’s common to tweak your routine multiple times before it feels right and fits seamlessly into your lifestyle. Without these adjustments, there’s a risk of falling into a pattern of making excuses to avoid specific tasks, especially the more daunting ones. Eventually, you might stop doing them altogether.

In my case, I’ve been trying to juggle multiple responsibilities—on top of my new running and mowing schedule; I still want to keep up with my regular chores, like laundry and vacuuming the house. It’s a balancing act, and I’ve noticed that when I try to pack too much into a single day, I get exhausted relatively quickly. The summer heat in Nashville only intensifies this fatigue, making it even harder to stay on top of everything. I realized that if I didn’t find a way to manage my time and energy better, I might start dropping some of these activities, which I didn’t want to happen.

After some trial and error, I discovered that the key to improving my routines—running, kombucha bottling, or laundry—was to start earlier. This simple change has made a significant difference. For example, I’ve started bottling kombucha and doing laundry a day earlier than I used to. Additionally, I’ve begun running and lawn mowing several hours earlier in the day. These adjustments have been surprisingly effective.

I implemented my new laundry plan this week, and it’s been a success. Instead of doing all the laundry in one go, I’ve split the tasks across two days. I tackle some of the laundry on Thursday and finish the rest on Friday. This change has had a positive ripple effect on my running routine. I’m not as exhausted as I used to be, so I have more energy left for my runs later in the day. In fact, I beat my target pace while running this morning—a small victory that felt incredibly rewarding. It’s incredible how a few simple tweaks can lead to such noticeable improvements in multiple areas of life.

From this experience, I’ve learned that starting tasks earlier not only helps me get them done more efficiently but also reduces the mental burden of having to begin them in the first place. There’s something liberating about knowing that I’ve already checked off a significant part of my to-do list by the time the day is in full swing. It’s one less thing to worry about, and that peace of mind is invaluable.

Looking forward, when I think about new routines or habits I want to develop, I’ll keep this lesson in mind: start earlier than necessary. This approach not only sets me up for success but also opens the door to further improvements down the line. While I might find opportunities to refine these routines in the future, for now, I’m satisfied with the progress I’ve made. It’s a good reminder that the most minor changes can sometimes have the most significant impact.

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Making Peace with Time Changes: A New Routine

Written on March 7, 2024

In my 20s, I always found the days we had to change our clocks for daylight saving time to be some of the most challenging days of the year. Some people said they liked the spring-forward or fall-back changes, but they were equally difficult for me. Unless I moved somewhere like Arizona, where they keep the time the same, I realized I’d have to deal with this uncomfortable shift twice a year, every year. I decided to shake things up and change my routine.

I’ve always been a night owl, but I forced myself to start my days early to get more done. Mondays are the only days I physically go to work, and I dread the commute, mainly because I drive a manual car. Traffic eats into my valuable time. Luckily, my office is only a 15-minute drive from home if I leave early enough to dodge the traffic jams, and my workday starts at 7 am. I decided to use the extra time I saved by working early on improving something in my life.

Then, we moved to Tennessee from Canada, and my routine faced a new challenge. Back in Canada, I’d run after work, but it’s way too hot in Tennessee, especially in the summer. Running in the extreme heat wasn’t appealing, but it still beat the alternative of running in the snow or ice for months. I had to tweak my schedule to fit the local weather patterns.

A survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine showed that about 63% of Americans would rather not deal with the time change, and 55% feel tired because of it (John Hopkins, 2023). I noticed in my early 20s that my productivity took a hit right after we changed the time, and my running pace slowed down on the days immediately following the time changes. This issue gets worse every year. It might be due to the time changes throwing off my body’s internal clock.

According to John Hopkin’s blog post, time changes also negatively impact our health. I am not going to discuss the impact in detail here, but if you have time, please read the website.

In response, I began shifting my schedule in my early 30s. This adjustment has worked, allowing me to maintain my natural rhythms despite the time changes. Instead of dreading these days, I’ve found ways to adapt and use them to my advantage. Changing my routine and adjusting to my new environment in Tennessee has helped me cope with the time change and improve my overall productivity and well-being.

 

Reference

7 Things to Know About Daylight Saving Time | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2023, March 9). https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/7-things-to-know-about-daylight-saving-time