Structure For the Free Spirit. If you’re anything like me routines…
Tags: Self Help, Creative, Atomic Habit, Self

If you’re anything like me routines, schedules, or anything of the sort has always felt restricting. Having to be somewhere at a specific time, answer to other people, or do something for no other reason besides “you have to” feels like a threat to your freedom. Others may see you as unreliable, flighty, and lazy. You may even start to see yourself in this way. Both the external and internal reinforcement of this narrative becomes your identity. There may even be some truth to it, but chances are most likely the systems you are working within are not suitable for you. Especially if you are a creative type.

We’ve all heard stereotypes about creative people and/or free spirits. They’re unorganized, messy, undisciplined, hate being tied down, love to run free. They’re all true and I’m not ashamed to admit that anymore. I do want to dispute the claims of laziness and lacking any clear direction or being without goals of my own. To the outside world that may be exactly how it looks, but that doesn’t matter in the least. I’m disputing this claim solely to my fellow self-appointed creatives and free spirits. Just because your method is different doesn’t mean you are lazy. It may just require a bit of fine-tuning.

I have developed a system that works for me. It gets the job done while allowing room for flexibility and is subject to change whenever I deem necessary. I can’t take full credit for this system, however. One of my favorite Youtubers, Rowena Tsai, introduced me to this method. It comes from the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. Over on his website he explains why you should forget about setting goals and focus on our systems.

source: jamesclear.com

Emphasizing one of the problems he pointed out, the problem that resonated with me the most. That is problem number 3: goals restrict happiness. I’d take it a step further and argue that strict, rigid schedules restrict happiness. Not only are you assuming that once your goal is accomplished that you will be happy, but on your way to that goal there is no space or time for freedom. To someone like me, you’ve already lost me here. For me, happiness is deeply connected to freedom. This freedom is given back to you by using Clear’s method of creating systems.

This doesn’t mean you are abandoning your goals. Instead, you are allowing yourself to focus on creating habits that will get you there. This allows you to be more present. Rather than focusing on a distant point in the future, you are doing what you can here and now. Freedom to me looks like being able to be present. I can’t focus on five and ten-year plans. I’m not there yet. I don’t know what is going on there or if what I imagine will play out the way I plan. I am in this moment, today, right now and that is what matters to me. What matters to me at this moment (or what are my goals in structured people talk)? This is going to look different for everyone, but for me, I set my systems based on my spiritual, mental/emotional, and physical well being first. Then I set a system to help work toward my dream, which is to be a full-time writer and photographer.

This may not be exactly how the author intended the systems to work, but this is my variation. From here I choose which item from each system best suits my daily objective. I list them in my planner along with other tasks that need to get done that day. I’ve played around with the order to see what works best for me. Each day begins with the spiritual system because my spiritual well-being influences every other area of my life. As of right now, it goes: wake up, cleanse my space (smudge with palo santo), pray, meditate, do affirmations. It might seem strict, but it doesn’t feel strict. Quite the opposite. Next going along the lines of “holding myself accountable” I list out everything in my planner.

I don’t plan the day before because I don’t know how I am going to feel that day. For instance, some days sitting in stillness/quiet feels better than doing a guided meditation. That’s why there are options. A lot of what is listed in the mental category does happen daily. That’s because I can’t separate myself from my mind. It comes with me everywhere. Yet the flexibility is still there because therapy doesn’t take place daily. On the days without it, something else in the category takes its place. The majority of the physical category also takes base daily because it is basic hygiene and things we need to do to survive like eat and drink water. There is flexibility when it comes to diet and exercise. What I do to move my body each day varies as well as how often I skip out on treats and junk food. Besides being vegan I have no dietary restrictions.

What isn’t listed are the non-negotiables such as work and soon to be school. Because writing is not yet my full-time job I’m currently unable to work around these. Once school starts I’ll have to create a system for it. As for work, it comes with a schedule. Those blocks of time are dedicated to it, but the freedom of the rest of my day is still something to be grateful for. Having control in this sense is what allows me to compensate for the lack of control over these non-negotiables. This paired with the amount of flexibility within my systems allows me to work toward my goals while enjoying the process. This is simply my version and in no way am I suggesting to create the same systems or attempting to impose any beliefs upon you. Each of us has our own unique goals. Allow those goals to help create your systems. Give yourself options, hold yourself accountable, and be consistent.