Routine is my middle name- I love planning out my days and knowing exactly what I’m going to eat every day, knowing exactly what my workouts are going to be each day, knowing exactly what I have to work on each day, and knowing exactly who I’m going to see and where I’m going to go each day. I have an obsession with getting shit done each day and smashing my goals, and having a daily routine really helps with that.
On the other hand though, routines can be physically and mentally exhausting. Some days, I just feel like waking up and not having to think about what school assignments I have to get done, what work tasks I need to get done, what events I need to go to, what meals I need to prep, and what workout I need to make sure to squeeze in for the day; however,I have such a busy schedule and overall lifestyle that I honestly don’t have the luxury to do so most days!
That’s why when I finally have the chance to go on a vacation, I make sure to really take advantage of it and not stress myself out about a thing. I don’t worry about the food I’m eating, I don’t worry about getting in daily or even weekly workouts, I don’t worry about getting enough work done to smash my career goals, and I certainly don’t worry about making sure to answer all of my e-mails and texts. I take my vacations very seriously and make sure to really shut myself off from reality for a bit.
I’m a perfectionist and workaholic at heart, and I used to think that taking a break from my goals and from life in general was a crime. I used to think that taking a break from eating my best or working out for a few weeks would make me gain a ton of weight. I used to think that taking a break from working would make me a failure. And I used to think that taking a break from routine would undue all of my hard work and take me 100 steps backwards.
Truthfully, none of that is even close to being true. In fact, from my personal experience, taking a break from reality for a bit creates the exact opposite affect! When you stop stressing out about eating healthy and just enjoy eating different foods in moderation, you actually lose weight (as long as you don’t go overboard and are still mindful about what you are eating and how much!) When you give your body a chance to relax from your daily workout routine, you actually lose weight as well and end up being even more excited to get back into working out a few weeks later. When you give yourself a mental break from reality for a bit, you are able to actually reflect on what you are currently doing in life in order to appreciate it and in order to work on changing anything you are wanting to. I truly believe you can’t move forward in life without taking some time to relax from life for a bit! You need to take the time once in a while to truly let your mind and soul be free in order to know what you currently want and need, what you can improve on, and what actions you can take to do so. As well, we are all human and really can’t perform our best if we never stop working!
I am so thankful for these past three weeks of vacation I was lucky enough to have, since every part of my body, mind and soul was craving it! I was able to truly rest, fill my body with yummy foods, fill my soul with adventure, laughter, happiness, and love, and fill my mind with positive thoughts and awesome new memories. Now I’m more ready than ever to work super hard in 2017 and smash all of my goals like never before!
Hope you all take the time to give yourself a true vacation once in a while- you all deserve it
xx
Rachel