Remodel Your Rhythms

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Let’s talk about remodeling your rhythms.

Read Time: 5 Minutes

Remodel Your Rhythms

You Already Have Rhythms!

In the book No-Fail Habits, the authors write that most people think of designing their day like building a house from the ground up, starting from scratch. They suggest instead that:

“The answer for designing your day is to think like a remodeler, not a builder. Begin with an existing plan rather than starting from scratch.”

That’s true for your rhythms as well. Here’s the hard truth: you already have rhythms. They might not be intentional, but they’re still there. Think about it: you most likely get up in the morning and do a similar set of things — check your phone, make coffee, shower, etc. Same thing when you get to the office — or leave the office. And one more time before you go to bed.
Now, those rhythms might not be intentional. They might not be helpful. They might be not be consistent. But one thing is true — you are not starting from scratch.
So, stop thinking like a builder. And start thinking like a remodeler.

The Four Steps to Remodel Your Rhythms

Remodelling involves four simple steps:
  1. Document
  2. Discern
  3. Design
  4. Deploy

Step 1: Document

You already have rhythms. This step involves writing them down. You’re moving things from unconscious or semi-conscious (especially before that morning coffee!) to conscious.
For the next few days, keep a list of what you currently do:
  1. Right after your wake up
  2. When you arrive at work (at home or elsewhere)
  3. At lunchtime
  4. At the end of the work day
  5. Before bed
That’s all for now — come up with these lists. An interesting observation — documenting rhythms usually means you start making changes. Your brain has already started on the second step — discerning.
Action Step: Document your current rhythms for each of the five times above

Step 2: Discern

Once a thing becomes conscious, your brain starts analyzing it. It’s asking questions like: What’s working? What’s not working?
This is the process of discernment — determining what parts of a rhythm serve you well and which parts do not. Discerning has two discrete steps:
Looking Back
A few simple questions to start:
  1. What’s working? Why?
  2. What’s not working? Why?
Looking Forward
  • What would you like to keep?
  • What would you like to improve?
  • What would you like to start?
  • What would you like to stop?
Action Step: Pick one of the four daily rhythms and discern using the questions above.
Now you’ve shifted from looking backward to looking forward, which naturally leads to step three — Design.

Step 3 : Design

Remodeling a house often involves demolition — removing old stuff — before construction — adding new stuff. The same can be true for your rhythms. Before you can start implementing a rhythm, you need to design it.
Designing a rhythm is simple. Just answer a few questions:
  • What elements would you like to include?
  • What order makes the most sense?
  • How much time does each element need?
Here’s an example of my Morning Rhythm:
  • Make pour-over coffee — 10 minutes. (My coffee-making ritual is deliberately slow. It’s important for me to start my day with stillness! Boiling the water; grinding the beans; pouring slowly using my Melodrip. I learned this from Alan Fadling from Unhurried Living. You can learn more in his blog post, Morning Coffee, Morning Communion.)
  • Journal in my Full Focus Journal (while drinking coffee!) — 20 minutes
  • Shave and shower — 15 minutes
  • Make coffee for my wife — 10 minutes
It’s important to write down your rhythms. If you use the Full Focus Planner or Full Focus Wellness Planner record your rhythms on the designated pages. You can also add them to your favorite note apps on your phone or in the description section of the rhythm appointment in your calendar.
Action Step: Write down the element, time needed, and order of the rhythm you selected in Step Two above

Step 4: Deploy

The last step is to deploy your rhythms. As Nike says, “Just do it!” But just doing it isn’t as easy as it sounds. New habits take time! Here are a few helpful deployment steps:
  • Block out a time slot for each rhythm in your calendar
  • Add the specific elements of each rhythm in the calendar description
  • Create daily reminders. Edens View coaching clients can do this easily using Metrics in the Coaching Portal. Or you can pick a habit tracker app for your phone.
  • Do it!
Remember, what we said at the beginning – Remodel Your Rhythms! You don’t have to start from scratch.
Action Step: Deploy one or more rhythms from Step 3 and track your progress for 60 days
Contact us here to learn more about how we can support you and your goals.
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