Working through the monotony

Longtime readers know I am a huge fan of routines and habits. Without them I would never get past making the bed in the morning. An adult with ADHD, distractions are just as distracting now as they were when I was a child. No matter how I tell myself to focus on just one thing at a time, if I am off my routine, I flounder.

Toward the end of summer I started to get bored with my routines. My days seemed to drag on, I lost the joy of my days. I tried everything I knew, I altered the order I did things, changed up my workout, found new walking paths for the dogs and me, yet nothing worked. I desperately looked for anything to bring the joy back to my days.

One evening, as I pretended to watch TV while scrolling through Pinterest, I found an article on romanticizing your life. Intrigued, I started reading. The article talked about how no matter how effective routines and habits are, if you don’t make the most of them and moments, you will find yourself lost in the monotony of the days. That had me hooked.

As I finished reading the article, I realized my attempt to streamline my life, to make things simple, and easy had removed all the joy from the routines I had so carefully created. The secret, for me, was to make the most of every moment, to create joy and luxury in the tasks that otherwise are tedious. I had spent a year trying to create a life that was simple, streamlined, with limited choices. Without realizing what I had been doing I was removing all the joy. I had made a boring life.

All the work I had done to heal, overcome trauma, and learn who I am, was for naught. Without bringing joy to the tedious tasks, I would grow bored and either build a life I hated or lose my routines and momentum to achieve my goals. And so I started to intentionally romanticize my life. I bought pretty coffee mugs and glasses. I started to enjoy afternoon tea with a cookie on the porch. I bought candles. Found audiobooks I loved. And for the first time in years, I purchased pajamas and a robe.

Slowly, as I started to romanticize my life, bringing luxury to my routines and habits, I found happiness and peace. Ironically, I found more peace than ever before. Apparently, a stringent, strict life with a uniform of sorts, was not for me. For a few moments, the moments where I needed to start over, to clean the slate and find myself, that kind of life did work.

I have found the more I allow myself to romanticize my life, the more joy I find. I am enjoying moments more, laughing harder, and loving more deeply. Glimmers are now a daily occurrence. The change has positively affected the dogs as well. Selena is laughing more. Raffy is happier. Now when they want to stop and roll in the grass, I join them. The emails will wait, clients will still be there. Instead of hurrying and rushing back to work, I am enjoying every moment of life. I am purposely focused on falling madly, deeply in love with my life. I finally know the secret to creating the perfect life, build a life you love, love every minute of the journey, take the time to stop and smell the roses. The answers you are seeking will be found at the moment they are meant to be found.

Sara Orellana is a former Lawton resident who lives in Oklahoma City.