Career Change and Routine - What Do You Want Your Day to Look Like?
When I changed careers I did quite a bit of self reflection (over YEARS) on why I felt I needed to leave my corporate job. The biggest reason was that I didn’t feel connected to the work itself. Marketing stuff to people, actively participating in our insidious consumer culture, didn’t align with my core values and minimalist lifestyle. I also didn’t want to work as many hours as I was or feel beholden to the 9-5 (which was slowly creeping towards 8-8) culture. Gross. I was yearning for change not just in what I was doing, but also in my daily routine.
When I began teaching Pilates nearly 2 years ago, I thought my ideal working day would start early (6am classes) and finish early. I also put a lot of importance on blocking my clients/classes together. But I've realized (after nearly 2 years!), that this "sprinter's" mindset was more rooted in my approach to a 40-hr workweek. Get in, get out. Save as much as possible and retire early.
The COVID slow down has given me another eye-opening opportunity to reevaluate what is truly most important to me in my daily routine. This time has taught me:
The value of waking up without an alarm (and how much better I sleep knowing I'm not at risk of sleeping through an early morning class)
That starting my day walking my dog, ideally without a phone, is a non-negotiable
How much I enjoy making a green juice/smoothie, tea and big breakfast at home, no rush to run out the door
How nice it is to have 30 minutes in between clients and classes to regroup (vs back-to-back)
That my workout doesn't have to happen first thing in the morning to happen (as it often did when I worked 9-5). In fact, a workout sandwiched between clients at the studio provides the perfect boost of energy and fills the gaps in my schedule
When I take all of those things into consideration, my ideal day looks something like:
7am wake up and walk Axl
8am juice/smoothie/tea
8:30am water garden (and house plants if needed)
9am answer emails/eat breakfast (almond yogurt/avocado toast/hummus and crackers/roasted potatoes and veggies)
9:30am get ready
10am bike commute
10:30am first client/class of the day
TBD workout during client/class gaps
6pm final client/class of the day
7pm bike commute
NO day currently looks quite like the above. However, mapping out my ideal day and understanding the routine that doesn’t drain my energy, is a way for me to protect myself and create longevity in my career as a Pilates Instructor. And I am anticipating that winter daylight hours might effect my ideal schedule ;)
So I encourage you, if you feel stuck in your career ask yourself: What does your ideal day look like? What sacrifices will you make for the career you want and what are your non-negotiables? You don’t need to do a complete 180 in your career like I did to better align your actual routine with your ideal routine, but you do need to understand what you need/want to start to make a change.