Our pal Linda pointed me to this interesting piece about daily rituals, and it got me thinking: What are my rituals? Should I get better ones? Hmm.
A few of my work-related rituals and habits:
- I always create a file folder for new client projects, even teeny tiny ones. It helps me stay organized.
- Every morning, I tear off a page of my Getting in Touch with Your Inner Bitch 2008 Calendar
, which is full of helpful tips that keep me feeling strong and sassy.
- Before I sit down to work, I put on comfy clothes and funny striped socks in the winter, and hot pink sandals in the summer. Color is important.
- In the mid-afternoon, I enjoy a cup of green tea, steeped for three minutes, with a hint of honey. I especially like to stare out the window while I sip it. (In our temporary housing situation, instead of trees and dog walkers, I have a lovely view of a firehouse and a busy, dangerous intersection, so I’m always entertained.)
- When I finish my day, I synch my PDA, turn off the lights and my monitor, and close the blinds. These are signals to myself that work is done and it’s time to relax.
So how about you? Do you have rituals in your work day?
Comments:
2 Comments posted on "Theme of the week: Rituals"
Helena B on December 5th, 2007 at 10:33 am #
My current work rituals (they evolve every three months or so) are:
1. Stop at Cafe Ballou on the way to work for an iced coffee and a biscotti.
2. Once in the office I scan the “Early Buzz” that appears on “Pop Candy,” a blog maintained by USA Today’s Whitney Matheson.
3. After my pop culture fix I open up my work to do list and see what’s on tap for the day.
4. Overwhelmed, I compulsively check my personal and work e-mail for 15 minutes, hoping something exciting and adrenaline inducing will pop in.
5. Almost certainly disappointed, I turn back to the tasks at hand and drive through until noon, when I take lunch. After lunch (except for the coffee and biscotti) I rinse and repeat until 5 p.m., when I pack it up and head home.
Interesting topic, and one I never thought about. Instead, I tend to focus on the “every day is different” perk of being self-employed. But I definitely do have them. In fact, if I don’t have coffee first thing in the morning (in one of two specific white stone mugs), I don’t speak. This is followed by going down and grabbing the four daily papers we get, scanning headlines and reading whatever I have time for that day. Only then do I go into my office and turn on my computer to begin the work day.
